Veggie Challenge #1: Cucumbers!

Alex, meet your competitor:

Cucumbers.

The boy and I have always joked that I am going to eat downright gross stuff if I am ever pregnant.  A normal day for me consists of a borderline disgusting amount of pickled things - pickled garlic, pickled brussel sprouts, hot pickled green beans, and Franks Red Hot pickles (consider that a shout out C.T.).  If you can pickle it chances are I will eat it.  Lots of it. 

I figured it was high time that I learned to pickle my own things - take responsibility for my habit if you will.

I started with some amazingly local pickling cucumbers from Hopkinton, MA which is about 45 minutes due west of my kitchen.  (Also the starting line of the Boston Marathon for you out-of-towners.) Loosely followed a recipe I found, but when it told me to let the 1/2 cup of sugar just sit in the vinegar-water mixture for 2 hours to let it dissolve, I decided to take charge.  I rebelled and stirred it.  Badass, I know.  Cut two hours down to about 10 minutes.  Who has time to watch paint dry?  Let's be serious here, people.

I had enough to make three jars of pickles so, naturally, I put a different spin on each one.  In a mere ten days boy and I will have a jar each of regular dill pickles, spicy dill pickles (red pepper flakes), and... dun dun dunnnnnn...

 Frank's Red Hot spicy pickles.  [Let me just give you the amazing recipe for those... 1 gallon jar of dill pickles.  1/2 bottle Franks Red Hot.  Mix together and enjoy 3-5 days later.]

I have to say that I am a girl driven by instant gratification.  (Probably the same reason I never got into online shopping...)  Waiting the ten days it is going take for these to be ready will be torture, but boy and I will report back and let you know which was best.

Happy pickling!