Pickle Update

Today was the day. Two weeks after the sweet and spicy pickles were canned. Today was the day I got to taste them.

Interestingly enough, a friend of mine, to whom I'd gifted a jar of homemade pickles, called me at 7:24 this morning, sing-songing, "Do you know what today is?" My answer? "Pickle day?" I was correct--this was precisely what she'd been calling for. Her son had been counting down the days before she could try a pickle..."One more day, mom, and you can open those pickles." But rather than try one, she wanted me to go first. She wanted me to guinea pig the pickles before she opened hers. Then, if I didn't think they'd marinated long enough, she'd keep hers vaccuum-sealed.

Well, by about 8:30 I'd tried the pickles. In a word, Sha-Zam!. They are extremely zesty, the sweetness hitting you first and a little heat following up. Pretty delicious, but a bit difficult to eat all by themselves. I personally think they'd be delicious with barbeque--maybe I'll give that a try this weekend...

So the friend that had called me at 7:24, called again just fifteen minutes ago, at about 4:15. I'd seen her when I'd gone to pick my boys up at school and given her the pickle-lowdown, so she'd tried them for herself. She coughed all the way through the conversation. Apparently she'd inhaled that zesty pickle aroma and it had tickled the back of her throat. But...in between harsh coughs, she gave me her opinion: Delicious!

So fellow bloggers, I encourage you--if you can find canning supplies--tackle the homemade pickle! I used Emeril's recipe. Take it from me...it'll knock your socks off! Bam!