Pickling Cucumber
How to store:
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Store cucumbers at 50°-54°F; a cool spot in the kitchen is best, not warmer than 59°F. Cucumbers will turn yellow and decay rapidly if not kept cool.
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You can refrigerate cucumbers for about a week in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator. Do not refrigerate cucumbers below 40°F. Dunk fruit in cold water or wipe them clean with a damp cloth then place the fruit in a perforated plastic bag; this will keep the fruit from drying out. (Refrigerators are dry, not humid.)
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Sliced cucumbers should be refrigerated in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to keep slices crisp and to prevent dehydration.
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Cucumbers stored below 40°F will become pitted, yellow, and start to decay.
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Avoid storing cucumbers with apples or tomatoes; ethylene (a natural plant hormone released in the form of a gas) given off by those fruits will cause cucumbers to yellow.
A favorite farm recipe:
Ingredients
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3 cups vinegar distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar will work
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2 ¼ cup cold water
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2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
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3 tablespoon mustard seed
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3 tablespoon coriander seed
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3 tablespoon peppercorn
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2 bay leaves
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1 ¼ lb cucumbers sliced into ½-inch rounds
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4 green onions trimmed and chopped (both white and green parts)
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3 Jalapeno peppers sliced into rounds (remove seeds for less heat)
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6 garlic cloves minced
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Few sprigs of fresh dill to your liking
Directions
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Step 1 - Prepare the cucumbers. (Optional) Place the sliced cucumbers and some ice cubes in a colander in the sink for 20 minutes or so (this helps give them better crunch). Drain completely and pat dry.
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Step 2 - Make the Brine. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, salt, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorn and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
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Step 3- Pack cucumbers and vegetables in jars. Pack the cucumbers, green onions, jalapenos, garlic, and a few springs of dill in some wide-mouth jars (they should be packed tightly).
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Step 4 - Add the brine to the jars. Ladle the brine into the jars to cover the cucumbers (use the back of a spoon to push the cucumbers down to submerge). Give the jars a couple of taps to release any air bubbles and allow the cukes to settle.
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Step 5 - Cover tightly and refrigerate. Cover the jars tightly with their lids and refrigerate. For best results, allow the pickles a full night in the fridge before using, but you can enjoy them earlier if you like.
Pickling cucumbers are used anywhere you would use a cucumber and they are perfect for pickling.