In a pickle

I have no idea if it’s because of my New York blood, but one of the things I enjoy most in life is a good half-sour pickle. A pickled cucumber, that is. I salivate just thinking about it.

Long before I was introduced to the likes of Korean kimchee, Japanese fermented vegetables and Indian pickles, my days included a good-size, half-sour pickle. In fact, when the rest of my high school friends indulged in ice cream cones at the end of the school day, I would cross the street to the local deli and buy a half-sour pickle (or a container of sauerkraut). Surprisingly, nobody thought I was weird.

Years later, an Ayurvedic physician explained to me that I was following my natural instinct — for those with my body-type, “sour” foods provide a “lift” in the afternoon, just when our energy wanes. It was my ex-mother-in-law who introduced me to my first homemade half-sours, produced in just a day or day-and-a-half with the help of the sun. They’re so easy to make that it’s almost ridiculous to ever buy a pickle again, and almost addictive in flavor.

All you need to make these pickles is a good-size, clean glass jar with a top, some very fresh baby (or small), thin-skinned cucumbers (do not be tempted to use older cucumbers, they’ll rot), a sunny window, and just a modicum of patience.

And even though I am a proponent of coarse sea salt, for this recipe, regular table salt is preferable for better absorption.

Note: After you’ve tried it the first time, don’t be afraid to add your own touches to the original recipe — a few allspice berries, a different kind of vinegar, a small hot pepper, a few olive leaves, a fresh grape leaf, etc.

Sun-made, half-sour pickles

• 8-12 small unwaxed, very fresh cucumbers (preferably baby cucumbers, sold by the package)
• water to cover
• salt
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
• 3 sprigs dill
• ¼ cup white vinegar (preferably rice vinegar)

1. Wash the cucumbers and place standing up in a large mason jar. Make two layers if possible.
2. Disperse the garlic cloves and dill around the jar and in between the cucumbers. Add the water cup by cup as necessary to cover the cucumbers, measuring the amount. Add one heaping teaspoon salt for each cup of water.
3. Pour the vinegar on top, close the lid, and place in a sunny spot for a day, turning around the jar once or twice during the day, if possible. The cucumbers will turn from bright green to a darker shade. Taste after the first day and add more salt if desired. If you prefer the pickles to be more sour, let stand in the sun for a few hours the following day. When they are ready, store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (if they last that long).