Eat a Pickle....Cut the Fat?

Sweet and Spicy Zucchini Pickles

My sister in-law Kim's grandmother always said this. We don't know how true it is but I personally feel better after eating anything pickled, knowing that I might be burning some body fat in the process. Truth is, though, I will eat anything pickled: cukes, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, green tomatoes, the list goes on.

My dad's garden is suddenly overflowing with the green stuff and my mother is dubiously sauteing it, grilling it, and frying it. I think it's time to move on to something new! After all, zucchini is one of those "vanilla" vegetables. It doesn't taste bad, per se. It just needs a little zest to make it more appetizing. One way to perk them up is to pickle them!

I found a recipe in Cooking Light Magazine and thought I'd share my own adaptation of it. Their recipe calls for mustard seed and I've substituted pickling spices instead. I find the pickling spices are more flavorful. I also changed the amount of hot pepper flakes.

Here's what you'll need:

4 cups 1/8 inch zucchini slices
1 cup sliced sweet onion
3 thinly sliced cloves garlic
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp pickling spices (found these at Job Lot for .88)
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine the zucchini, onion, and garlic in a glass bowl (or a 9x13 shallow glass baking dish works well too). Bring the vinegar, sugar, spices and salt to a boil. Pour over the zucchini mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

These taste just like pickled cukes and have a nice crunch to them without all the high sodium in the store bought pickles. I am guessing that if you like to preserve in jars, you can try this recipe in canning jars as well.

Eat a pickle, cut the fat!