Quick Pickles

Happy Friday everyone! I am planning on spending my weekend searching for tart cherries to make a jar or two of preserves and maybe if I am lucky I can find someone to drive me upstate to pick some raspberries. I'm also going to make some veggie spring rolls using these quick Vietnamese pickles I've been making lately thanks to my newfound obsession with Vietnamese flavors and Not Without Salt's bahn mi recipe. These pickles are simple to make and so tasty in all kinds of dishes from salads to sandwiches and they would make an excellent contribution to a picnic spread this weekend. What are you all up to?

Vietnamese Pickles
adapted from Simply Recipes

1lb carrots peeled and cut into 1/4'' matchsticks
1 lb daikon radishes peeled and cut into 1/4'' matchsticks
1 jalapeno without seeds or ribs, cut into thin matchsticks (optional)
1/2c plus 2t sugar
1t salt
1 1/4c rice vinegar
1 c warm water (warm enough to easily dissolve sugar)
About 3 pint jars

1. Place the carrots, daikon, 2t sugar and 1t salt in a large bowl. With your hands, massage the sugar and salt into the veggies until they are soft and pliable, about 3min. Transfer them to a colander, rinse with cold water and drain well.

2. In another bowl mix the remaining sugar, vinegar and warm water until the sugar dissolves.

3. Pack the carrots and daikon (and jalapeno if you'd like some heat) into clean sterilized jars and pour in the brine to cover the veggies. Refrigerate and let sit overnight before eating.

These pickles are not shelf stable and should be stored in the fridge where they will last 4 to 6 weeks.

For another easy pickling method, check out this great post from Food in Jars, my go-to for all things jar related. I used her method for the jar pictured with peppercorns, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. They are mighty tasty too.