Come on… aren’t all the best things in life fermented?

Fermented curd, fermented cucumber, fermented grapes, fermented cabbage, fermented chilis……….. Sheesh, I could go on and on!

As you can tell, I love me some briney scrumptiousness. My mom says it’s because when she was pregnant with me, all she consumed were Pepsi and pickles. My earliest PMS cravings were for daiquiri-ice flavored ice cream from Baskin Robins and a big ol’ Claussen dill pickle, alternating bites. Too much? Okay okay.

Well, these days my pickle peckish has nothing to do with hormones and everything to do with the fact that pickles are delicious. So last night, I made my own. That’s right, I’m pretty crafty and skilled and kitchen-savvy like that. Jusssssssssst kidding, they’re incredibly easy.

You’ll need the following:

(This brine will be enough for two mason jars, approximately 20 oz. each)

Some vegetables (I used carrots, obviously. Feel free to use cucumber, chilis, cauliflower, radishes, anything!)

2 cups Distilled white vinegar

2 cups Water

2 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. dill seed

2 tsp. fennel seed

2 tsp. black peppercorns

1-2 tsp. red chili flakes (adjust according to how essssssspicy you like it)

2-3 cloves garlic

Begin by peeling your carrots, then slicing them into sticks of similar sizes. Make sure they aren’t too tall for your jar, trim to fit. Place all of your seasonings (peppercorns, dill seed, chili flakes, fennel seed, garlic) into the jars. Now, slip the carrots into the jars, packing them tightly enough but not so that you can’t pluck them back out again when you’re hungry!

After you’ve readied your jars, begin the brine. Heat the water, vinegar, and salt over high heat until boiling. Make sure the salt is dissolved. Carefully pour the boiling brine into the jars until there is just a half inch of air at the top. Place the lids on the jars and set on the counter to cool. Once the jars have cooled to room temperature, pop them in the fridge to sit and become tasty for a day or two.

Poof! You’ve just pickled!

They’ll keep in your fridge for about a week or two, but I doubt they’ll ever last that long in my house anyway!