Pickles Anyone?

I love pickles. I mean who doesn't? Ok, yes, I know some weird people who either simply don't like the deliciousness of a nice crunchy sour pickle, or they just don't like anything sour at all, and by all I mean they don't like mustard, anything with vinegar, lemons, not even sweet pickles because it has the name pickles in it. I feel sorry for people like that, they just don't realize how many good foods they are missing because they refuse to try anything that could even be slightly sour. There are sweet types, but I am sorry, I just do not like sweet pickles, I have tried them before and they are simply too sweet for my tastes. Sure they might be considered a pickle, but they just aren't something I enjoy eating, I like the sour ones. So for the rest of this post when I mention pickles, I am referring to the sour variety.

Now, a pickle doesn't have to be made from cucumbers, while the majority are made from cucumbers, cauliflower, green beans, and beets also make some very nice pickles.

I remember sitting at my dads watching "The Dark Crystal", sitting in the papasan chair, munching on homemade pickles.

Green bean pickles with their super crunchy snap to them, while the green been itself adds a different flavor than you would get from a cucumber pickle. You can find some yummy green bean pickle recipes here or elsewhere on the internet. I am sure they are all yummy.

Another story involves pickled cauliflower. Pickled cauliflower in my family isn't for people with tender tongues, it is spicy hot, and by spicy I mean bring tears to your eyes if you are not used to it. Well as it so happens, I once saw my dad eating this family made pickled cauliflower, and me being the pickle monster I am wanted some, of course my dad tried to tell me that it was hot, but like most kids, what my father could eat so could I. Well, my father handed me a piece, I bit into it, chewed and swallowed, tears start running down my face as my tongue catches on fire, i repeat the process, damning my poor tongue to more misery. My dad is laughing at me at this point. Here I was, a little short person, I am adult and am only 5'3", so I was pretty tiny as a child, and tears are running down my face, yet I keep eating this pickled "lava", and then ask him for more once the first piece was gone. He still laughs about it thinking back. He said it was just so funny watching my face as I ate it, and then when I came back for more with tears running down my face and runny nose, he just couldn't help laughing.

I am not sure these recipes are even close to what my dad fed me that day but I am sure you can tweak it to your liking. 

Pickled beets are one of my favorite side dishes and are very simple to make, simply take canned beets, either home canned or store bought, put them in a pot, add
1 teaspoon powdered allspice (you can use whole, but I found powdered works better)
2 teaspoons of sugar
3-4 teaspoons of vinegar (apple cider is best)

Boil for about 30 minutes and either serve warm or cooled.

Another favorite of ours is simple vinegar pickles. Its nothing much, simply sliced cucumbers, onions, salt and pepper to taste, add vinegar (to taste, the more vinegar the more sour it will be) and water to cover the whole mess and put in the fridge. Usually ready in a couple of hours, and last a couple of days. We usually have these often as a side dish with meals.

Why aren't you pickling yet? Go, shoo, tell me how they turn out, feel free to share your favorite recipes. Either Below in the comments or I will be more than happy to add them to the blog, simply EMAIL DEATHFAIRY HERE include your name (need not be full name) so that I can give you credit for contributing the recipe.