Fire & Ice

I am a member of a soap forum called The Dish, it is truly a wonderful resource! Not only in regards to B&B but for foodie recipes too!

Here is one I tried from a thread called Fire & Ice Pickles... after making it, I now understand why they named it so :)



From the ingredients list the combination of ingredients may sound a little strange, but it is REALLY REALLY good.

There are many variations but I'll give you the basic original recipe posted (BubbleMeThis):

• 4lb sugar (1.8kg)
• 1 gallon dill gherkins(cucumbers, whatever!) (3.8L)
• 2oz Tabasco sauce (60mL)
• 3 - 6 cloves garlic

With things like this I am a bit blase about measuring properly because it doesn't have to be perfect, but here is my version as best as I can remember:

• 680g jar of Dill Gherkins (unsliced and preferably unseasoned)
• 500g white sugar
• 15-20mL Tabasco
• 2 cloves garlic (I cut mine in half, some ppl do slices, but I guess you could use minced garlic)

pinch of:

• red pepper flakes (chilli flakes)
• allspice
• clove (ground)
• chilli powder
• cinnamon (powdered, but next time I am going to use the quills)
• a few bay leaves
• and a few kaffir lime leaves. I didnt mean to add the kaffir lime leaves, as I mistook them initially for bay leaves but it still all tastes very good!

1. Drain all the juice off gherkins.
2. Slice into 1.5cm slices (doesn't have to be perfect).
3. In a separate bowl mix all the ingredients together. I added the sugar last as it melts quickly and you want to get it back in the jar before the liquid starts developing.
   
4. Put back into the gherkin jar, lid on TIGHT (this stuff is sticky and a pain to clean up... ask me how I know), and shake well.
5. Leave sitting out at room temperature for 5 days, shaking once a day (or whenever you remember) and turn it to stand on its lid (which we remembered to tighten didn't we?! ...see how my pic above doesn't have as much liquid...), then the next day shake and turn it to stand on the bottom again and so on. I think I only remembered to turn it for 2 or 3 days, and from then just shook it if I remembered lol
6. Refrigerate.

These are hot, spicy, tart and sweet, and cold from the fridge ... hence the name.

Give it a go! I promise you'll love it, even if you're not a pickle-lover... I'm not really, until I tried these. Just adjust recipe to your liking, take out or lessen (or increase? What I have made is quite hot) the amount of the chilli powder and Tabasco, add more or less garlic, whatever suits your fancy.

Enjoy!