by Jess Catherine, Purchasing Assistant
It feels like everytime I shop for food, I am trying to eat healthier. I say,”I am going to eat these beautiful vegetables I’m buying instead of those frozen pizzas.”
Working through this pandemic means I haven’t had extra time to plan, cook, and homeschool. So sometimes I need to extend the shelf life of the vegetables I buy, and eat them! Quick pickling is a good way. I am adding these to everything, slaw, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips and salsa, and anything with rice. It makes mundane food go from boring to amazing.
I tried two different styles of quick pickling, and found that both turned out to have subtle differences in flavor and were absolutely delicious. The first style of brine I used was apple cider vinegar and the second style used unseasoned rice vinegar. I chose some basic vegetables: red onion, cucumbers, and radish and jarred them separately. Almost any vegetable will work for quick pickling. Some of the most common are carrots, green beans, asparagus, peppers, cauliflower and beets.
This following recipe really sparked my fancy because I love cilantro on most everything, especially in the warmer months. I think basil would complement nicely here too!
Cilantro-Pickled Red Onion
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 clove garlic, halved
1 large red onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 Tbs. roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. olive oil
Directions: Combine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar, salt, and garlic in a 16-ounce jar; cover with lid. Shake until sugar is dissolved. Add onion, cover with lid, and let stand for at least 20 minutes. Onion can be pickled and refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Just before serving, drain onion and toss with cilantro and oil.
Simply Pickled Veg
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced vegetables (such as carrot, chives, and/or cucumber)
Directions: Whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add vegetables and let sit 10 minutes. Vegetables can be pickled three days ahead. Cover and chill.
Feel free to add other herbs and spices for a unique flavor! I like to add chili flakes and some fresh mint clippings to cucumbers and carrots. What are you going to try?
