Recipe: Famous Back Eddy House Pickles (refrigerator storage)

FAMOUS BACK EDDY HOUSE PICKLES

"As soon as diners sit down at the Back Eddy, their server brings them a plate of these pickles. It is amazing how fast they disappear. They will no doubt vanish just as fast at your house, but there's no need to worry, this is a supremely adaptable and generous pickle. You can add more vegetables to the container as the supply dwindles, using the same ones as the original batch or adding different ones. (Lightly saut ed turnip slices, for example, work great.) You can also freshen and expand the syrup as needed. To do so, simply combine vinegar and brown sugar in the same proportions as the recipe, bring them to a boil, add spices in the same proportions, and simmer for five minutes. When the syrup is cool, add it to the container.

These pickles are fantastic as low-fat, high-flavor, crunch-imbued appetizers, so serve your guests a plate of them instead of the standard cheese and crackers."

2 pounds pickling cucumbers (less than 5 inches long)
3 tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut on diagonal into 1/4-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 cups cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
2 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries, cracked (See Cook's Notes)
2 teaspoons coriander seed, toasted, cracked (See Cook's Notes)

Trim and discard the blossom ends of the cucumbers, then cut the cucumbers into rounds about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick.

In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers and salt; toss to coat. Cover with ice cubes and let stand in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Drain the cucumbers, rinse well, then drain them again.

In a medium saute pan, combine the oil, garlic, carrots, bell peppers, and onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, until the carrots "sweat" and soften a bit, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and combine with the cucumbers.

In a nonreactive pan, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, and all the spices. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil for 5 minutes to flavor the syrup with the spices.

Pour the boiling syrup over the vegetables, allow to cool to room temperature, and then cover and refrigerate.

This pickle will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 1 month.

COOK'S NOTES:

To crack spices:
Place in zipper-style plastic bag and pound with mallet or bottom of heavy pot.

To toast coriander:
Place in small skillet and place over medium-high heat. Shake handle to rotate seeds over heat. Toast until lightly browned.

Yield: About 12 cups
Adapted from source: Quick Pickles by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George