It seems like every farmer’s market this side of the Mississippi is filled with booth after booth selling homemade pickles. I began to think, “If all of these farmers can do it, why can’t I?”. I can. And I did. In a big way. This is the second time I’ve made this recipe, and now I can’t imagine a barbecue without them! They are a little sweet, a little tart, more than a little spicy, and packed with flavor. Also, people are super impressed when you tell them that you’ve made pickles instead of buying them!

Thank you again to Heidi of 101 Cookbooks for creating this concoction. Here is her recipe:

Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 white onion, thinly sliced

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tblspns fine grain sea salt

1/4 cup fresh dill
1 small fresh red chile pepper, very thinly sliced (if you don’t like spicy, use 1/2 or 1/4 of the pepper)
1/2 tblspn yellow mustard seeds
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup natural cane sugar

Directions:
-Toss zucchini, onion, shallots and salt in a colander
-Place over a large bowl to catch the liquids
-Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours
-You want to get as much liquid out of the vegetables as possible
-Take out of the fridge and shake off any remaining water
-Place in a 1 liter / 1 quart jar with the dill, chile pepper, and mustard seeds (I usually use two smaller jars)
-Combine the ciders and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat
-Bring to a simmer, stir, and continue to boil for a few minutes
-Pour the liquid over the zucchini and seal the jar
-Let cool, then refrigerate
-The pickles are good for a week or so.
-Enjoy!