My Finger Has a Heartbeat: The Saga of One Girl Making Fridge Pickles
I have never really thought of my self as a klutz. Sure, I run into things a lot, coffee tables, door knobs, the corner of counters, but, in general I am cognizant of my surroundings and have freakishly good balance. Lately, though, I have noticed some things. First of all, there was the breaking bones period (broken ankle of 2008 followed by the broken finger of 2009). Then, I noticed how after a warning like, “Hey, watch out for that step!” I will still manage to trip. Or how I am always accidentally stepping on Erik’s missing toenail toe or dropping things I really wish I hadn’t.
So, it didn’t really come as a huge surprise when I cut a chunk out of my finger while making fridge pickles. I knew the risks when I chose to ignore the “safety” instructions on the mandolin, but I thought, “Oh. I will never cut myself. I am too careful.” Needless to say, my finger has a heartbeat and with each throbbing beat it reminds me why I am that special person who should follow the directions written for idiots.
Fortunately, after fully disinfecting my work area, I didn’t have any more klutz issues making these pickles. They were exceptionally easy since they are not going to be canned and just stored in the fridge. (I do like not having to worry about killing people with botulism!) I was able to use a combination of pickles from my CSA and from my garden (yay!). Plus, I love the idea of tweaking the recipe to make the best pickle ever.
The recipe I found on smitten kitchen is good, but I think next time I might add some red pepper and maybe a chili. Yum.
Bread and Butter Fridge Pickles (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
(Makes 1 quart)
1 lb cucumbers, sliced into quarter inch pieces (Kirby I heard is the best, but I used a combo)
1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/4 cup of salt
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp of whole coriander
1 Tbsp of whole mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of turmeric
1/4 tsp of celery seed
Combine cucumbers, onions, and salt in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a layer or two of ice cubes – let sit at room temp for two hours. Drain and rinse cucumber mixture. Heat sugar, vinegar, and spices until boiling. Add the cucumbers mixture to the pot and bring just to a slow boil, stirring to coat. Once heated, turn off the pan and let cool. Pour into jars and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
That was quite a coincidence. I have had a thing about making pickles and this year was determined to do it. Two weeks ago I got out that mandolin (which is now available to anyone who wants it) and on my second cucumber took a cucumber slice out of my thumb. There was lots of blood and had to have help keeping enough bandages on it to stop soaking things. I threw out the cucumbers I had sliced since I did not know where my missing slice from my thumb was. Later when I went to clean the mandolin.. there it was. The next week I was healed enough.. borrowed a friend’s food processor and sliced the cucumbers in about 2 minutes flat with my thumb intact. I canned the bread and butter pickles and think I will do it again this week!
[...] I talked about making those fridge pickles a few months ago – and almost cutting off my finger – you can read the full, enthralling story and recipe here. [...]
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