Sorting through my folks’ kitchen shelves before my Mom’s move, I discovered an old Jerusalem Post newspaper clipping. It was a recipe for pickle chips. I’d never considered making this, but it looked so easy that I had to try it. I did, and liked the pickles very much indeed. Now see if you like them.
The first few lines of the clipping had been cut off, so I can’t credit the author, but the date is Friday, June 30th, 1978.
Sweet & Tangy Pickle Chips
from the Jerusalem Post, author unkown
Ingredients:
1 1/2 kg. – 3 lb. fresh, firm cucumbers
4 large onions
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 heaping tsp. ground turmeric
6 whole cloves
4 allspice berries
2 sticks cinnamon
3 Tblsp. – 30 grams – mustard seeds
optional: 1 -3 dried chili peppers. I used 1 tiny shatach pepper and it was enough.
Method:
Use a large pot for this preparation. The vegetables take up a lot of room.
1. Rinse, but don’t peel the cucumbers. Slice them into thin circles; set aside.
2. Peel and slice the onions thinly. Set aside.
3. In a colander or sieve placed atop a large bowl (to catch the juices), put down alternate layers of cukes and onions, salting each layer generously before adding the next.
Drape a towel over the colander to keep insects off, and leave the vegetables alone for 3 – 4 hours.
When you’re ready to prepare the pickles, do this:
1. Put all the ingredients from the sugar on down into the large pot.
2. Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
3. Add the cukes and onions. Simmer them for 3 minutes.
4. Pour the hot mixture into a large jar – put a wooden spoon in it first, though, to prevent it shattering. Cover and allow to cool.
5. Refrigerate for 24 hours. The pickles will then be ready, although they improve with a few more days in the fridge.
The pickles will stay crunchy and good for a long time. Not that they’ll stay around a long time: if your family likes pickles, they’ll love these. If you plan to keep extras in the pantry, please follow safe canning procedure.
When putting food up for emergencies, consider this recipe.
