Quick pickle

Quick pickled yellow wax beans.

Combine 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon mild white vinegar (white wine vinegar or rice vinegar — white distilled vinegar can work, but is pretty dang strong), 1 and 1/2 cups hot water, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Place thinly sliced squash, cubes, or whole beans in a jar with two sprigs of rosemary, two dried chilies and 4 to 5 cloves of garlic. Pour vinegar mixture into jars and place in the fridge.

Pickled squash is great on a sandwich to spice up (and add veggie goodness) to a ham and cheese sandwich. Pickled beans are great chopped up on a salad, added to a soup or stew, or (my favorite) eaten as an afternoon snack. The pickling flavor will get stronger the longer it’s stored in the fridge.

Quick squash pickle.

Quick cucumber pickle.