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Pickled Fruit and Vegetables
Ruth Milstein, author of the Gourmand award-winning recipe book ‘Cooking with Love: Ventures into the New Israeli Cuisine,' shares her Tips for Pickling Fruit and vegetables, plus her recipe for Cucumber Pickles!

                              

Make sure the jars that you use are well sanitized.

Tips for Pickling Fruits:

- Pickle sweet, ripe and firm fruits.

- Use the freshest fruit you can. Fruits like cantaloupe, watermelon, figs, apples, pears, kiwi, lemon and orange are great choices.

- Keep your fruit cold in the refrigerator until you're ready to pickle it.

- Use 3/4 water and 1/4 vinegar.

- Use fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary. Use the wines and spices you like.

- Use honey instead of sugar to balance out the acidity of the vinegar.

Tips for Pickling Vegetables:

- When you pickle cucumbers, always pick the smallest and firmest ones.

- You can pickle almost any vegetables you like; cucumbers, green tomatoes, beets, turnip, okra, squash, eggplant, garlic and cabbage.

Recipe for Cucumber Pickles

Ingredients:
2 lb. cucumbers; washed

5 gloves garlic; peeled and washed

1 bunch of dill; washed

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons salt

1 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Water

Method:
In a large jar put the cucumbers, garlic, dill, sugar, salt and red pepper if desired.
Add the vinegar and enough water to cover the cucumbers. Seal tight and leave in a warm place (kitchen is OK).
Keep at least 2 days (they will still be a bit greenish). After that, the longer you keep them stored, the more the cucumbers will be pickled. Keep them at room temperature for one week; then refrigerate. (If anything is left!)

The pickle in the picture has been stored for one week.

Ruth Milstein is the author of the award-winning recipe book 'Cooking with Love: Ventures into the New Israeli Cuisine.' Little is known about the wide array of exotic yet comfortable and easy-to-make food associated with Mediterranean and Israeli cuisine, and in 'Cooking with Love', Ruth explores this expansive gourmets heaven with recipes that are eye openers for the experienced chef, as well as the novice cook. Learn more at www.RuthMilstein.com