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Cooking with Beer | Stone Cold IPA Pickles

Cooking with Beer | Stone Cold IPA Pickles

When was the last time you went to a farmer’s market or a flea market and didn’t see a jar of IPA Pickles selling for some ridiculous price? Along with the boom in craft beer production has also come a boom in craft beer related items – one of them being beer pickles. Instead of giving in and paying top dollar for one of these jars, I decided to go off and make pickles on my own.

Here’s my thing about me and pickles: I’m very particular about how they taste. I like a really dilly pickle that’s crunchy and more tart than sweet. The pickle has to have a good zing or else I ain’t bitin’ in. Therefore, I created my ideal pickle using an IPA that I (and most others) think is top notch: Enjoy By IPA by Stone Brewing Company. My plan was to make the pickles and let them sit for at least a week to really soak in all the flavors. But, since I’m horribly impatient, I lasted two days. When I took that first crunchy bite, I was pleasantly surprised at how amazing the pickles had already become and how much hop-tastic flavor was coming through. My mind started whirling with all the possibilities of their use on Drink and Spoon – fried pickles, pickle relish, topping burgers, etc. So, if you’re into pickles and you’re into hops, try out the Stone Cold IPA Pickles recipe and let me know what you think. I think you’ll be saying ‘F you’ to all other pickles very soon.

Stone Cold Steve Austin
Photo Credit: s4s.wikia.com

Serving Size: 2 pint-sized mason jars full of pickles

Stone Cold Pickles

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup Stone Enjoy By IPA

3/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tbsp of kosher flaked salt

1 ½ English cucumbers

3-5 garlic cloves, depending on size

4 stems of dill (usually comes in .66 oz packages)

Optional: red pepper flakes or extra garlic

Directions

There’s a big debate over what is better – spears or slices. I prefer whole pickles but that won’t fit in these little mason jars. Therefore, slice the cucumbers however you like them. First, cut the ends off and cut them in half width-wise. This should be the perfect size for the jar. Then, either cut them up into slices or for spears, cut the half of cucumber in half again, lengthwise, and then lengthwise again until spears are made.

Stone Cold Pickle Slices

Stone Cold Pickle Spears  Stone Cold Pickles

In a bowl or large measuring cup, mix 1 1/2 cups of Enjoy By IPA, 3/4 cup of cider vinegar, and 2 tbsp of salt until all of the salt is dissolved.

Stone Cold Pickles IMG_3137 Stone Cold Pickles Stone Cold Pickles

When you pour in the salt, the liquid is going to fizz up. Don’t be alarmed but make sure your bowl or cup has high enough sides to accommodate.

Stone Cold Pickles

Before stuffing the mason jars, boil them so they become sterile. Then, take the garlic cloves and using a knife, smash them.

Stone Cold Pickles Stone Cold Pickles

Stone Cold Pickles

Throw one or two in each mason jar along with one to two stems of dill – depending on how much dill you can handle (obviously I opted for two).

Stone Cold Pickles Stone Cold Pickles Stone Cold Pickles

After the ‘taste enhancers’ are in, fill the jar with as many cucumber spears or slices as you can and then pour the pickling juice on top.

Stone Cold Pickles

Stone Cold Pickles

 

Stone Cold Pickles Stone Cold Pickles Stone Cold Pickles Stone Cold Pickles

You can even add some extra stuff like red pepper flakes.

Stone Cold Pickles

When complete, they’re fine to eat right away but I’d wait at least a few days to let them marinate. These Stone Cold IPA Pickles should last a few weeks in the refrigerator so there’s no rush to chow them down. If two jars is a little too much pickle is your life, the Stone Cold IPA Pickles make great gifts!

Stone Cold Pickles

Once you eat them, you’ll be like Stone Cold Steve Austin and be flippin the bird to all other pickles!


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Comments

  1. These sound awesome! I want to feature them on a post I’m working on, do you mind if I use one of the pictures you took as long as I credit you back for course?

    • That is fine! Just do Photo Credit: Chelsea Mitchell of PorchDrinking.com

  2. John Coutts

    So the brine doesnt need to be heated? It goes into the jar with the alochol in it (my kind of pickles!)
    Also, do you let them sit at room temp for up to a week then fridge or fridge right away?

  3. You can certainly boil the brine – this helps meld flavors and get rid of bacteria. You can also not boil the brine and create Lacto-fermented pickles in about 4-6 weeks. Since I boiled my jars before filling them, I wasn’t too worried about bacteria growing, especially since I ate my pickles so fast. If you want to save these for a few months, I suggest boiling the brine and also boiling the jars for a few minutes after they are filled – this will help preserve them even more. Boiling the brine/pickles will somewhat cook the pickles and they might lose a little crunch but they should plump up after sitting for a week or so. I’ve read that grape leaves also help add crispness to the pickle.
    Also – garlic oils help kill a lot of viruses. I’m thinking you’ll be safe 🙂
    I refrigerated mine right after I canned them but I like my pickles cold. The cold also will stunt bacterial growth. Good luck and feel free to ask any more questions!

  4. Cody

    Has anybody tried adding some leaf hops to the jars as well?

  5. Ed

    I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times (with Uinta Hop Nosh, but still). Thank you… It’s awesome.

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