Spicy Pickles

This is another recipe inspired by one presented in Lucy Norris’ 2003 Pickled (ISBN 978-1584793007).  This beautiful and invaluable book originated from a oral history project on the history of pickles that Ms. Norris undertook during her college years at New York University.  It really is our favorite cookbook on the subject, and we can’t recommend enough that you track down your own copy.

The original Cajun Pickle recipe was shared by Eddie & LeeAnn Jacobian, owner/operators of The Pickle People in West Hempstead, Long Island.  Because the recipe uses spice mixes, we’ve also provided our favorite DIY versions.  The Pickling Spice mix comes from the incomparable 1979 Better Than Store Bought by Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider Colchie (ISBN 978-0060146931).  The Cajun Seasoning comes from the 1987 Prudhomme Family Cookbook (ISBN 978-0688075491).  The Italian Seasoning mix is of our own creation. 

6 pounds pickling cucumbers; if only 4-6” cucumbers are available cut each into 6 spears.
6 mildly-hot Hungarian wax peppers, quartered
1 garlic head, cloves peeled and halved
½ cup onion, sliced into ¼ x 3” strips
1 gallon water
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 cup pickling salt
1½ tablespoons picking spice (see below)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (see below)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (see below)
½ tablespoon cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon ground cumin
½ tablespoon black peppercorns

Pack cucumbers, wax peppers, garlic, and onion into a 1 gallon crock.  Make the brine by mixing together the water, vinegar, salt, pickling spice, Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, cayenne, cumin, and black peppercorns.   Stir until the salt has dissolved, and pour over the cucumbers.   You will almost certainly have more brine than needed to cover the cucumbers; put any extra into a quart jar.  Put a small plate over the top if the cucumbers and weight down with a small ziploc bag filled with clean pebbles to keep the cucumbers completely immersed in the brine.  Tie off the top of the crock with a plastic bag to keep out debris and insects and let ferment for 5-9 days in a warm place (70-85° F) until the cucumbers reach the desired level of sourness.  Check each day and if the brine level falls and exposes the top cucumbers, add in enough reserved brine to keep them all submerged.  

Drain off the brine and reserve.  Pack the cucumbers tightly into canning jars, dividing the peppers, garlic, onion and peppercorns equally between all your jars.  Top off with the reserved brine and process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes to seal.  Let rest another week or two before eating.

Pickling Spice

4 cinnamon sticks (each about 3” long), crumbled
1” dried ginger, pounded into small pieces
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 teaspoons dill seed
2 teaspoons coriander seed
2 teaspoons whole mace, crumbled
8 bay leaves, crumbled
1 dry hot red pepper (2” long), crumbled (with seeds)

Mix together and store in an airtight jar.

Cajun Seasoning

3 tablespoons salt
1½ tablespoons sweet papyrika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
½ tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
½ tablespoon dry thyme leaf
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix together and store in an airtight jar

Italian Seasoning

Mix together equal parts of dry basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and rosemary leaf. Crumble and store in an airtight jar.

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