The girls and I whipped up these quick pickles this afternoon. I call them refrigerator pickles because I don't "can." I make batches of pickles and jams in small quantities, here and there. I sterilize my jars in the dishwasher and am never really sure if I'm going to poison my family, so all "canned" goods go into my fridge instead of the pantry. If you are an expert canner, you can put these up on a shelf.
SPICY NECTARINE PICKLES
- about 2 lbs of nectarines (about 7 medium), sliced into wedges
- a few wedges of red onion (if you like)
- 1 clove of garlic, smashed
- 2 cups of white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 cup of cane sugar
- 1 tsp of sea salt
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- a good palmful of small, dried, HOT chilies
- 1-2 teaspoons of good pickling spice (I like Penzey's)
Bring all ingredients except fruit and onion to a rolling boil. Remove from stove and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pack fruit into two quart-sized jars. Pour liquid over (dividing in half for each jar). Shove cinnamon sticks around fruit. Cap jars, let cool, then place in fridge.
We like these with grilled sausages and brined pork chops.
