David Burd, wtop.com
WASHINGTON — It’s always the case when you visit offices at holiday time: Christmas cookies or sweets on display at the receptionist’s counter.
But while visiting the offices of the Frederick County Government building this week, I ran into a little-known holiday treat: The Christmas Pickle.
No joke, it’s for real.
Robin Santangelo, the public information officer for Frederick County, offered me one. Wow. Time to be a big boy and be brave.
So, I tried one. And not bad is all I can say. I don’t know if I ‘d leave one of these out for Santa, I think I’ll stick with cookies and milk. I don’t want to give Santa an upset stomach.
But if you’re bored with everyday holiday treats, here is recipe … this is no everyday treat.
Christmas Pickles
- 1 jar (48 ounces) of whole, old fashioned dill pickles, commercially prepared
- One-half of cup white vinegar
- One-half cup of water
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of pickling spice
- 1 tablespoon dill weed
Preparation:
- Drain the dill pickles and remove them from the jar. Rinse the jar and the lid with boiling water. In a sauce pan, bring ingredients (except pickles) to a boil. Boil slowly for 7 minutes, stirring gently to blend in the spices.
While liquid is cooking, take pickles and carefully quarter them into spears. Cut in half longwise, then half again. Place pickles into the clean jar. Place a table knife in the jar to prevent the jar from overheating, then pour sweet and sour syrup over them all.
When jar is at room temperature, remove the knife, replace the lid and refrigerate for 3 days.
Thanks again to Robin Santangelo for the Christmas pickle recipe.
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