A pile of kirby cucumbers. We see them and think of dill pickles. And that is too bad because pickles are only the tip of the iceberg. We are blinded by experience. We need to look beyond our own horizons and see what others do with kirby cukes. Cooked cucumbers are delicious and not eaten enough. Next we look at the bigger picture, the gourd family. If we can make kirby dill pickles why can't we make dill pickled honeydew melon? Then we look at our pickle processes. From pour over vinegar to lacto-fermented we are just scratching the surface. How are others pickling foods? What can we borrow and learn from? What have we not tried? The ingredient, its connections and the processes broaden our horizons. When we can break the mold we discover new inspirations. It frees us to let our imaginations roam. Then we dig around to see what's possible.
Years Past