Pickle Your Resolutions

Remember my culinary ambitions for 2013? Well, call it serendipity, but Happy Girl Kitchen hosted a 'Pickle Your Resolutions!' event last night. When I saw the post, I knew that I had to squeeze that in to our New Year's Eve plans.

So, after a fantastic capodanno feast at La Balena in Carmel, we high-tailed it to Pacific Grove and got our pickle on.

Chop, shred, chip, or slice your veggies. We used carrots, turnips, beets, onions, fennel, cabbage, romanesco, and more. And layer them in a pickling jar. Add in spices of your choosing. I used lots of caraway while Dylan plunked in peppercorns like they were going out of style.

Sweet pickles got a tablespoon of organic sugar. Sour pickles just get the vinegar-water mixture. Then they were processed in a water bath for 25 minutes. Can't wait to break into these in a couple of weeks.

Happy New Year. And thanks, Happy Girl, for letting me cross one ambition off my list.

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