Fermented 
Half-Sour Pickles
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

(Makes 4 pounds of pickles)

4 pounds small to medium pickling cucumbers (about 4 inches long), cleaned and whole

1/2 gallon cool water

5 tablespoons kosher salt

Peeled cloves from 2 heads of garlic

4 to 5 springs of dill

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

Mix together water and salt. Stir together until dissolved.

Mix together the garlic, dill, and black peppercorns. Divide the mixture evenly between two sterilized, 1/2-gallon mason jars.

Wedge the cucumbers into the jars tightly, starting with larger cucumbers and filling in with smaller ones. Wedge small cucumbers in at the top so that the curve of the jars will hold them under the brine.

Fill the jars with enough brine to cover the cucumbers completely. If using airlock lids, fill the airlock with water, and screw on the lid. If using a crock, use a plate or a doubled zip-top plastic bag filled with water to keep the cucumbers under the brine, then cover the crock either with a lid or a piece of cloth tied tightly to keep out dust and flies.

Check the progress of the fermentation daily. The brine will start to get cloudy and smell slightly sour, and the cucumbers will begin to soften. You can taste the cucumbers as they ferment to see how sour you want them. Remember that in warmer weather fermentation tends to happen faster than in cooler weather. Half sour pickles may be done in as few as five days, or they may take weeks.

When fermentation is done (or the pickles are as sour as you want them), replace the airlock lids with normal lids, and transfer the jars to the refrigerator. If you used a crock, transfer the pickles to jars, cover with brine, and refrigerate.

Quick-Pickled 
Watermelon Rind
Adapted from Good Housekeeping

1 baby watermelon

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

With vegetable peeler, remove green peel of baby watermelon. Cut off white rind; reserve melon for another use.

Cut enough white rind into 1/4-inch cubes to make 2 cups. In 12-inch skillet, combine rind, cider vinegar, sugar, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, and salt.

Simmer on medium 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool; serve with grilled pork or chicken.

Indian Pickled Peaches
Adapted from The New York Times

6 peaches, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other hot red chile powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons natural sesame oil (untoasted) or neutral vegetable oil

2 teaspoons black mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing) powder, available in specialty stores or online

Juice of 1 large lime

Place cleaned, cubed peaches in a medium bowl.

Add salt, cayenne, and turmeric and mix well.

Warm 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop, about 1 minute. Turn off heat and stir in asafoetida, then add contents of skillet to bowl. Add remaining sesame oil and lime juice and mix well. Leave 15 minutes for flavor to infuse.

Store refrigerated up to a month.

Homemade Cocktail Onions
Adapted from Imbibe Magazine 

1 pound pearl onions, peeled

1 quart distilled champagne vinegar

3/4 quart warm, filtered water

2 cups white sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon pickling spice

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a large saucepan and mix until completely dissolved.

Tie the pickling spice into a sachet of cheesecloth and place in the brine.

Add the onions, making sure they are completely covered with liquid. Bring to a boil for only one minute. Overboiling will sacrifice texture.

Remove from heat. Transfer onions and liquid to a clean quart container and let cool overnight, covered at room temperature. Will keep refrigerated for up to two months.