The first thing I’d do after unwrapping a McDonald’s cheeseburger would be too pull those two pickles out. Even as I grew out of dirty McDonald’s I still never understood the pickle passion. Why would people choose, let alone enjoy, eating something so sour?

As I evolved I finally started to understand why. Crunchy, sour, salty. They have personality and you can differentiate between the good and the bad. The supermarket from the homemade. 

Not too mention that they can be tremendously nutritious. The acidic tasting vinegar is actually anti-acidic. You’ll improve your pH balance and fight off disease. Apple cider vinegar, which we use in this recipe, is especially powerful. It can help with:

 

• an upset stomach
• a sore throat
• acne
• cramps
• bad breath
• blood sugar levels and diabetes
• a stuffy nose
• whitening teeth

The list is almost endless. Pickles and salad dressings are the best way to get more apple cider vinegar into your diet.

What Are the Other Benefits?

Well it depends what you’re adding to the mix. For this recipe, we’re just using fruit, herbs and seeds. Hydrating cucumbers, antioxidant rich dill, hair growing mustard seeds and digestion helping fennel seeds. 

You can use almost any vegetable you think of to replace the cucumber. So if you want more radishes in your diet, use them. Cauliflower? Sure, swap it in. Or do a medley of both.

Homemade Dill Pickles w/ Mustard & Fennel Seeds

• Takes 15 minutes
• Makes 3 500ml jars

Ingredients

• Small cucumbers – 6
• Apple cider vinegar – 1 1/2 cups
• Maple syrup – 1/3 cup
• Fennel seeds – 3 teaspoons
• Mustard seeds – 3 teaspoons
• Dill – 1 bunch
• Sea salt – 1 tablespoon 
• Water – 1 1/2 cups

Method

1. Add the sea salt, water, apple cider & maple syrup to a pot and boil on the stove
2. Chop the cucumbers into batons or dice into discs
3. In three separate jars, split up the dill, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and cucumber ingredients into equal portions
4. Add the boiled apple cider potion to each jar, fully submerging all the ingredients
5. Seal the lid and place in the fridge
6. Pickles are ready in about 24 hours and can be stored unopened for three months
7. Once you open the container, you have seven days to enjoy

 

Article by James Mcloughlin – Green Press 

W: www.greenpress.co

F: /greenpress

I: @greenpress

 

 

image via: readers digest