Homemade Quick Pickles for Summer Sandwiches & Salads

I adore pairing delicate circles of gently pickled cucumber. They are flavourful, crispy, but pair well with so many things. They’re well suited for picnic food and sandwiches.

The beauty of homemade quick pickles for summer sandwiches & salads is that they’re created in small batches so enjoyed straight from the fridge, not prepared for long-term storage. I have quite a few variations of these recipes in a specific category for my pantry recipes. This took some of the pressure off of my process and sterilization of the containers. But I still researched proper techniques and wrote a separate post about it.

My love of pickles goes back to childhood, but it was truly a special appreciation of them in 2011. I blamed my being under the weather on “that bug all my friends were sick with”. The only difference was that I felt fine so long as I ate pickles and drank milk. Weird bug. Well, that bug is now almost six months old and a wiggly, giggly bundle of joy. Looking back on my ‘pickle-and-milk flu’ days, I am appreciating how, in my time of need and horrible morning sickness, pickles stood by me and got me through with a smile on my face. In honor of that, I wanted to try to make homemade pickles. But in an easy way since I now have a baby to keep track of.

Preparations: I sterilized the jars, prepared the countertop and ingredients, and washed my hands very well.

Quick Pickled Cucumber Slices

1 fresh cucumber
Salt
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard seed
1 bunch fresh dill, stems removed
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 red onion very thinly sliced

1. Wash, dry and thinly slice the cucumber then place in a colander over a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the cucumber slices with salt while shifting the slices so they are all have a bit of salt on them. Set aside covered in a dishtowel for 45-90 minutes while working on the next step. We’ll get back to these slices in step 3.

2. In a pot, combine the water, vinegars, mustard seed, half of the dill leaves, pepper, and onion. Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Rinse the salt off the cucumber slices then pat dry with a clean towel. Transfer the cucumber slices to the clean jar.

4. Pour the simmering liquid into the jar carefully. If you live in an area with insects, cover the jar with a clean dishtowel or cheesecloth. Let the contents of the jar cool to near room temperature then seal and refrigerate.

5. Serve the pickles atop a sandwich or, if pregnant, with a glass of milk.