Seasonal Ontario Food

I know there are some people out there who may not like dill, but do like tarragon. A few years back I was intrigued by this recipe from a 1970's cookbook published by Mir. They pickled nicely, but did indeed taste of tarragon (one of the few herbs I really don't like; yes, I know it's a character flaw, but there it is. Give me dill anyday.)

At any rate, now is the time to be making pickles. If you prefer dill pickles, see the recipe I posted last year for Dill Pickles.

2 quarts
2 hours prep time, not counting 6 weeks to ferment


2 quarts (litres) pickling cucumbers
4 cups plain white vinegar
3 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
4 to 8 sprigs of fresh tarragon
8 to 12 cloves of garlic
2 to 4 mild red chile peppers

Scrub the cucumbers very well, and set them aside to drain.

Put the jars in a canner, add water to cover them by 1", and bring them to a boil; boil for 10 minutes.

When the jars are lifted out and emptied, add 2-3 cloves of garlic and the pepper (half of one if they are on the large side) to each jar, as well as 1 or 2 sprigs of tarragon. Stuff each jar as full of cucumbers as you can get it.

Make a brine of the vinegar, salt and water, by heating them together until the salt dissolves, and pour it over the cucumbers. Seal with sterilized lids.

Set aside for 6 weeks in a cool dark spot before trying. Keep refrigerated once opened.