Quick Pickles

   If you Google "quick pickles", you'll find a million different versions and a million different opinions about them. I'm going to say though that my quick pickles are literally the quickest and easiest you will find, so don't bother looking it up on Google. Seriously, just trust me. Or, if you ended up here from Googling "quick pickles", just stay here. Don't go anywhere. Still here? Good.
   My version of quick pickles is one I've eaten my whole life, compliments of my Dad, and I honestly love it. As far as it being a true pickle though, it's a big fat faker. But does it taste great, and give you a pickly zing? Yes it does. Well then, alright. Let's move on. 

Quick Pickles

Ingredients:

• Cucumbers (whatever amount you want to use, or have on hand) About 4 cups if you plan to put them into a quart jar.
• Vinegar. Either enough to fill the jar of cucumbers,  or equal to about half of the amount of cut cucumbers you have. I like to use balsamic because of it's flavour and colour, but I often use a mix of apple cider vinegar and balsamic, or just apple cider vinegar, basically, whichever I have on hand!
• Salt & pepper, just a pinch of each

Method:

1. Wash the cucumbers and either peel them completely (as my Dad does), or slice only down the 4 "sides" of the cucumber (as I do in the photo below). Then cut in half (you can scoop the seeds out if you would prefer it. You can also not cut in half if you prefer!), and slice to about 1 inch thick.
2. Place the cucumber slices into a bowl, a plastic container with a lid, or into a quart mason jar, and sprinkle with salt and pepper
3. Pour vinegar over the cucumbers, and if you have these in a bowl or container that has the vinegar only covering the cucumber a bit, gently stir it to get the vinegar on all of the cucs. Toss every so often for the first day to make sure it's an even vinegar party for your pickles. 
4. Cover, and let this sit at room temperature if you plan to eat it within a few hours. If you plan to eat it the next (or subsequent days), place into the fridge. 

   This is a super-duper, very loose recipe that usually just has me cutting, pouring, and eye-balling everything. 
   Don't sweat this recipe! As soon as you start worrying about it, you've defeated the purpose! 
   My Dad use to make this a lot when I was growing up, and I really loved it. I was also the youngest of a huge family, and do you think my Dad fussed around with pickles with  a small army of kids and young adults in the house? No. No, he would not. So don't fuss! 
   If you want to add some fresh or dried herbs like dill, garlic, or onions, do it. It's all you man, it's your quick pickle! 

   I eat these bad boys on their own, I'll put them on top of a veggie salad, or I'll toss them with sweet bell peppers and leftover chicken for a quick lunch. Then, when they're gone, I drink the vinegar out of the jar. For real. It makes my face pucker a bit, my gut feels a little wacky, but it's how I roll. 
   The End.