Barbecue season has begun, which means potato salad season has begun too! The best part for me? The pickles! I could (and have) eat them on their own. And that’s reason enough for me to write an article about the best way to pickle cucumbers yourself. As an added bonus, I’ll share a beef tartare recipe topped with pickles from SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA.
How to make your own pickles
The first step is to choose the cucumbers. While you can pickle other types of cucumbers, the classic small pickling cucumber (Gherkins), which is in season from August to September, is the best choice. To ensure the best flavor and carbon footprint, buy them at a farmers’ market, opt for organic varieties, or grow them yourself. For this recipe, you’ll need about a kilogram. You should also have a few canning jars on hand, depending on the quantity.
Sterilizing canning jars
Used screw-top or canning jars work very well, but first, you should boil them for 10 minutes in a large pot of hot water and then set them aside on a clean kitchen towel.
DIY Pickles by Fryd
Here’s a recipe from Fryd that I really like.
DIY Pickles by Fryd
Ingredients
- 1 kg Gherkins Bio
- 500 ml Apple Cider Vinegar
- 300 ml Water
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 2 tsp Sea salt
- 3 Garlic cloves sliced
- 2 tbsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Peppercorns
- 2 Sprigs of dill per glass
- 1 Bay leaf per glass
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers thoroughly (preferably with a brush).
- Bring the vinegar, water, honey, and salt to a boil. Stir until the honey and salt have dissolved.
- Then add the mustard seeds, peppercorns, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Now, fill each thoroughly washed canning or disposable jar with two sprigs of dill, then pack the cucumbers tightly into the jars.
- Pour the hot vinegar brine over the cucumbers until they are completely covered. Seal the jars tightly.
- Finally, simmer them in a large pot of water for ten minutes. The jars should be submerged two-thirds of the way.
- Remove them from the water bath and let cool.
- Once cooled, store in a cool, dark place—such as a basement—for at least four weeks.
Beef tartare—is that even a thing anymore?
I hardly eat meat anymore. One (very) guilty pleasure that I still treat myself to once a year, though, is beef tartare. And apparently, I’m not the only one. A quick Google search confirms: tartare is back in style. Originally a dish from the “Golden Twenties” in Paris, tartare was a staple on German menus in the 1960s and ’70s.
It fell out of favor amid concerns about salmonella from eating raw eggs and meat, but it’s back now, and is also on the menu at SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA—who sent us this recipe to accompany our pickled gherkins.
Organic Beef Tartare with Pickles - Recipe from SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA
Ingredients
- 300 g Beef tenderloin Organic
- 4-5 Pickles (e.g., using our DIY pickled gherkin recipe)
- 1 Shallot small
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 3 tbsl Olive oil
- 1 tsp Capers (optional, for extra flavor)
- 1 tsp fresh dill or dried dill
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Egg
- 2-3 Blätter fresh arugula or baby spinach
Instructions
- Remove all the tendons and fat from the beef tenderloin, then cut it into very small cubes. For easier cutting, freeze the tenderloin and let it thaw slightly. The cubes should be small, but not too small, to preserve the texture of the meat.
- Finely dice the gherkins, shallot, and capers.
- In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, high-quality olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. For an extra creamy texture, add a raw egg yolk. This vinaigrette adds a harmonious, slightly tangy freshness to the tartare.
- Mix everything together in a large bowl.
- Arrange the tartare on a chilled plate. Garnish with fresh dill, arugula, or baby spinach leaves.
