I need a really pickly pickle recipe

[ExpressHydration]

Are you an experienced pickler?

Ds loves pickles. He always complains that supermarket pickles are not pickly enough. Too sweet and mild.

Any advice or recipes for making super-pickly pickles?

You need to play around with the balance of sugar, salt, vinegar and water in the pickling liquid as well as adding mustard and/or coriander seeds and/or dried chilies and using fewer sweet spices.

Yes, I agree

I'm not experienced but found the River Cottage Preserves Handbook No. 2 useful and very pretty

The piccalilli nearly blew my socks off

I use the middle recipe of these. It's beautiful. You can play around with your veg combination.

Thank you! I'll have a go.

My mouth is watering now

Yum, I’d say just put no sugar in or look for supermarket ones with no vinegar. The higher the sugar the less pickly they taste imo. I saw a recipe recently for pickled radishes to add to sandwiches that was basically just radishes and apple Cider vinegar and maybe a few peppercorns that sounded amazing.

Has he tried sauerkraut or kimchi? Not strictly a pickle but fabulous.

I know thread was from last month. OP, when your DH says he wants a more pickly, pickle, does he mean more vinegar?

My DH recently found attika vinegar. You dilute it down to the strength you need- for cleaning, pickling, as a regular vinegar etc. It would give you flexibility to make your pickles a bit more vinegary.
www.scandikitchen.co.uk/product/perstorps-absolut-ren-attika-24-3-dl/

I made quick pickles last month and they blow my head off! Really well seasoned vinegar, finely sliced courgettes on a Mandoline, and keep in the fridge. I’ve done onions the same.

It’s the water vinegar ratio even more than the sugar, imo.

I would also recommend quick pickling while you wait for your longer pickles. Carrots and onions are both particularly good and easy so you aren’t limited to cucumbers. You can play with the seasonings and get nearly instant results so can get an idea of what kind of flavors he really likes.

now I want to make some pickled carrots, but all my mason jars are making berry vinegar right now. Muddled blueberries or sliced strawberries covered in vinegar and let sit as long as you can avoid temptation. Strain and save the vinegar. I mostly use it in sparkling water, but it also makes an excellent addition to salad dressing.