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Hoppy IPA Pickles

Those bines that are threatening to take over / decorating our upstairs mini deck? Those are first year hops, doing *way* better than we ever thought they would. You see, we haven't had the best luck with hops.

We started them out a year before we bought our current house, and then spontaneously decided to move before the next season. Pulling them up and moving them isn't something they really enjoy, apparently.

Then, we got hit by a tornado after we transplanted them. Pretty much every piece of crap debris in the neighborhood was thrown on top of them... again, not the most ideal living conditions, especially on top of the recent move/transplant! If that weren't enough, the roofers ended up trampling them into non-existence. They did try to grow again after we had pulled the debris off, but were no match for the crew working to make our house liveable. RIP, hops.

So, this year we tried again... and were met with weird conditions. Pretty dry, weird fluctuations in heat, etc. Given that we were starting from scratch again, we didn't have our hopes (hops?) up!

... and then, they tried to take over the house. They really flourished - maybe Mother Nature is feeling guilty for the hell she put us through last year? Apology accepted, I guess...

So we harvested the hops recently, and it was around the same time that I had decided that I am obsessed with canning all of a sudden. (Can "canning" be the next "cupcakes"? Now? Please?)

A trip to the farmer's market inspired one of our famous brainstorm sessions, which produced some awesome ideas of what I should try. Some were conventional (pickled beets!), some were more a case of me running wild with it ("Caulcannon Pickles"!). You'll be seeing some of those creations here over the next while! (Edited to add: We now have a whole recipe category for pickling and canning!)

I don't remember if I was joking or not when I asked my husband if I should create a hop flavored beer pickle. Even if I had been, the way his eyes lit up meant that I absolutely had to make it happen. What a crazy idea, beer flavored pickles!

Well, after a bunch of work designing the recipe - making sure the acid level was right, planning flavors to compliment the style of beer, etc - I was disappointed to learn that Dogfish Head Brewery beat me to it, with their Hop-Pickle from Brooklyn Brine. Boo! I hate it when I have a great idea, only to find that someone got there first!

Anyway, these pickles are fabulous.

Also, they cost a fraction of the ready-made price AND gives you the flexibility of using your favorite brew! I designed this around my husband's favorite beer - Hopslam - and we used a homebrewed clone version of that beer for this recipe. The hops we chose were ones we grew ourselves - Centennial - chosen because of how the flavor compliments the beer. Garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and jalapenos round out the recipe, all flavors that work well with the beer.

No sugar at all, though - if you're into sweet pickles, this may not be the recipe for you. These pickles are sour, and as bitter as you want them. You can vary the level of bitterness by adjusting the amount of hops used, and the length of time you boil them in the brine. We used a full oz of "wet" hops, and boiled them for 10 minutes to produce a very bitter pickle - exactly how my husband wanted them. If you don't subscribe to his "the more bitter, the better!" mantra, feel free to use less hops, and only boil them for a few minutes.

As an idea of yield, we made a double batch of this recipe and ended up with:

- 3 quart jars (2 of whole pickles, 1 of spears)

- 4 pint jars (All as spears)

- 5 little jam jars (All as slices)

I recommend sticking to slices and spears. They look nicer, take up the flavor quicker, and require far less of the liquid. Also? The jam jars of pickle slices would make really great gifts! We'll definitely be putting another big batch of these on soon, for just that reason!

Enjoy!

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Are you a fan of hops? You'll LOVE my latest cookbook, Hedonistic Hops! Hops are prized for their ability to impart varied, complex flavours to beer… but did you know they can also be used culinarily? While hops may seem like a bizarre or exotic item to cook with, it’s the same as using other herbs and spices in your kitchen… you just have to know what to do with them. Appetizers, main dishes, beverages.. even desserts can be uplifted with hops! Even those who are not fans of beer will love the unique flavours that various types of hops can bring to their plate. Floral, earthy, peppery, citrusy… Cooking with hops is a great way to expand your seasoning arsenal!

