I think Kenya gets his love of pickles from my side of the family. My mother and I have both always been obsessive pickle eaters, but my husband argues that Kenya’s love comes from him; he fondly recalls time spent as a kid on Essex Street on the Lower East Side of New York City, choosing pickles from the wooden barrels at his father’s favorite pickle place, Guss’ Pickles. Suffice it to say Kenya comes by his passion for pickles honestly.
I’m all for buying jarred pickles, but one day four years ago I spotted lemon and pickling cucumbers at the farmers’ market, and they motivated me to make my own. There are tons of different herbs and spices you can use to make pickles, but I prefer the classic and simple approach. This mix of fresh ingredients produces a pickle with the perfect amount of flavor and zip that kids seem to love.
1 pound mixed vegetables (I use carrots, cucumbers, green beans, and pickling cucumbers, but you can also use cauliflower, celery, green tomatoes, jalapeños, or okra)
¼ cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon agave nectar or sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar (you can also use champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar)
4 garlic cloves
6 dill sprigs
2 bay leaves
1. Divide the vegetables between two 16-ounce mason jars.
2. Combine the salt, agave, vinegar, and 1 cup water in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Divide the garlic, dill, and bay leaves between the jars.
4. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and cover the jars.
5. Refrigerate and start enjoying after 2 to 3 days. You can eat them for up to 1 month.
TIP: I always keep glass mustard, pasta sauce, and other kinds of jars to make these pickles.
TIP: When the first batch of pickles is gone, add more veggies to the same brine.
MAYA: My boys, eight and four, love Kenya’s Favorite Pickles. We use cucumbers and dill from our garden when we can and we also pickle carrots, green beans, wax beans, and cauliflower. They are so tasty and so much better than pickles from the store, which are either floppy or full of artificial colors and preservatives.