Quick Pickled Radishes

With the heat, our radishes are bolting and turning spicy faster than we can use them fresh. I love the quick pickled radishes that the Brass Buckle uses on many of its dishes so I thought I'd try making some at home. These are not for canning, but they are quick to make and will keep in the refrigerator for some time. I made these with cider vinegar and they were good, but I want to try them another time with white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar. It would also be fun to try jazzing them up by adding herbs to the mixture. Try these in salads, on tacos, or alongside grilled meats. If you like these, try my Quick Pickled Red Onions as well.

Quick pickled radishes are a tasty addition to a green salad

1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/2 cup vinegar (cider, white wine, or red wine)
3/4 cup hot water
2-3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a jar, making sure the radishes are well covered. Let sit on the counter until cool, then refrigerate.

Quick Pickled Red Onions

I had a hankering for some pickled onions to go with tacos. Yum! Super easy, too.

2 medium red onions, peeled and sliced thin
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved (optional)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

Place the onions and garlic in a quart jar. Press them down if needed to make them fit.

Combine the cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Carefully pour over the onions in the jar until they are covered. You may have some extra liquid, depending on the size of your onions and how tightly packed they are.

Cover the jar and let sit on the counter for an hour or two, then refrigerate. You can eat these immediately, but they'll be best after they've had some time to soak. They should keep for several weeks in the fridge.

Makes 1 quart jar of onions.

Pickled Jalapenos

This recipe comes from Massachusetts author Sherry Vinton's wonderful preserving book Put 'Em Up. You can use it for any kind of chili peppers. The pickling process mellows their heat considerably, but they still retain a little kick. The hotter the pepper you start with, the more kick retained. I like to use jalapenos and Hungarian hot wax or banana peppers. If you like the pickled flavor but not the heat, try sweet peppers. Once opened, a jar of these will keep for ages in the fridge.  Great for nachos, tacos or quesadillas, scrambled eggs, homemade salsa, etc.

If you want to make more or less than this recipe calls for, just keep in mind that each pound of fresh peppers equals roughly one quart (or equivalent) of pickled peppers.

2 lbs jalapenos or other chili peppers
3 cups distilled white vinegar
2 cups water
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar

Stem the peppers and slice them into rounds. You may want to use rubber gloves for this. If you opt to use your bare hands, be sure to scrub them very thoroughly with soap afterwards to avoid unpleasantness the next time you rub your eyes or some other sensitive area.

Prepare the brine by bringing the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar just to a boil then turning off the heat.

Pack the peppers tightly into jars (I like to do this in half pint jars but you can do pints as well). Using a funnel, ladle the brine over the peppers, leaving about a quarter inch of head space at the top. Wipe the rims clean, then place the lids on and add the rings, screwing them until until just 'fingertip tight'.

Process the jars in a boiling water bath, 10 minutes for half pints or 15 minutes for pints. Remove from the water and let cool for 24 hours. If any jars fail to seal, put them in the fridge and use them soon.

Makes 4 to 4 1/2 pints.