Theo loves peas and he loves pickles, especially the wild-fermented kosher dill variety. This quick-pickle recipe, from Linda Ziedrich’s “The Joy of Pickling,” combines two tastes of which he can’t get enough. See Linda’s blog agardenerstable.com for ever-reliable inspiration on preserving the harvest, from salty ferments to sweet jams. You can use snow peas here, too.
Makes 1 quart
1¼ cups white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pound sugar snap peas, stemmed and strung
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 or 2 small dried hot peppers, such as japones or de arbol, slit lengthwise
2 tarragon sprigs
In a non-reactive saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, 1¼ cups water, salt and sugar, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. As soon as they have dissolved, turn off the heat and let the liquid cool.
Pack the peas into a 1-quart jar with the garlic, chili pepper(s) and tarragon. Pour the cooled liquid over the peas and close the jar with a non-reactive cap.
Store the jar in the refrigerator for at least two weeks before eating the pickled peas. Refrigerated, they will keep for several months.
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