I love pickles. Everything tastes better with a little vinegar, salt, and garlic. Problem is, unless you've got a few jars to pickle, it's tough to justify the mess and energy it takes to heat up a big 'ole pot o water. Fortunately, Katz' recipes tend to veer away from traditional pickling and more toward lactofermentation.
I had thought about doing milkweed pickles, but didn't have enough, so I tried something out of Katz' book - Brined Milkweed Pods. (He also claims you can do this with Nasturtium pods, but I don't have any of those around so...) Pretty simple recipe and they taste sort of like olives. I've since tried using bigger pods stuffed with cheese, hot pepper, and capocollo.
Tastes like something you'd get at the $7.99/lb olive bar.Milkweed Pickles
2-3 cups of milkweed pods
3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 cup water
4-6 cloves garlic
Stuff the milkweed pods in a jar mixed with the peeled garlic cloves. (I love garlic so I use a lot of garlic. I also love spicy, so I add cayenne pepper and some chili flakes.) Mix the salt with the water and pour over milkweed pods. Depending on how big your jar is, you may need more or less water - but use the same ratio 3/4 T of salt to 1 cup water. Make sure the milkweed pods are underwater and allow to sit. The pods will float, so you will have to find a way to weigh them down. I've used a Collins Glass and a shot glass. Be creative.
