Kinda Sorta Sours

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: American Pickle

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (16)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(16)

Cook Time:
5 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 5 min
Total:: 1 hr 25 min

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Ingredients

1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon pickling spice
4 whole garlic cloves, smashed

Directions

Combine the onion and cucumber slices in a clean spring-top jar.

Combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the garlic, in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the spice flavors.

Add the garlic cloves to the jar. Slowly and gently pour the pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slices, filling to the top of the jar.

Cool to room temperature. Top off the pickles with any remaining pickling liquid and refrigerate.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Kinda Sorta Sours
Jeff Cherokee, NC 10-02-2009
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A Sour Treat!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Another easy recipe from AB! This are great on burgers or just by themselves. I used them to make tuna salad too...
recipe Kinda Sorta Sours
Nancy Addison, IL 09-25-2009
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haven't made them yet.....question regarding the vinegar
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Saw the show last night and these pickles sounded interesting like one's my Mom use to make. Anyone make them with regular... vinegar instead of those listed? I am allergic to apples and afraid to try them if they have to be made with cider vinegar? I know our fav Alton mentioned with vinegars can be interchanged, but wondered if anyone did?Read more
recipe Kinda Sorta Sours
Joanna Lawrenceville, GA 08-30-2009
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Easiest tasty pickles ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe is ridiculously easy. I made a couple of different batches - the first one I did exactly according to the recipe... and the second I used only half as much sugar. I thought they both turned out really well with no real significant difference in sweetness level, so going forward I will only use half the sugar. I am not a big sweet pickle fan so I wasn't sure I was going to like them but they don't taste super sweet, it's more of a background flavor. I taste the sour much more than the sweet. Someone mentioned their pickles turned out mushy - mine were perfectly crisp but I was using very fresh cucumbers. Maybe if you get your cukes from the grocery store they may be a lot older and less able to hold their crispness. I recommend a) growing them yourself or b) getting them from the farmer's market (which is what I did).Read more
recipe Kinda Sorta Sours
ELAINE Long Valley, NJ 10-19-2007
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EXCELLENT PICKLES!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I make these pickles all summer with local farm cucumbers. I have even made them with the English cucumbers that come... wrapped in plastic in the supermarket. After eating these pickles, it's hard to go back to store-bought. They are just that good. Thank you, Alton, for a classic recipe.Read more
recipe Kinda Sorta Sours
TAMMIE Fair Oaks, CA 11-24-2006
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just OK
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I made these 2 weeks ago, so they are about as good as they are going to get. I found them to be mushy and not really as... sour as you would expect a pickle to be. Just got a lukewarm response at the Thanksgiving snack table. Probably will not make these again. Firecrackers were great, though!Read more
recipe Kinda Sorta Sours
Daniel flushing, NY 05-24-2006
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Fantastic
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

They are good for samwiches, but not really eating pickles.