Shake your pickles!

Few things are as satisfying as the tart crunch of homemade dill pickles - bursting with garlic and spices and fresh cucumber flavor, these easy pickles take only 5 minutes to prepare, though they do need to sit a week in the fridge to reach peak flavor. Four-year-old Miles enjoys helping to make - and eat! - these pickles, and he has invented a little song to sing as he shakes them to distribute the spices:



This recipe is adapted from Homesick Texan; I've added mustard seed and pepper flakes, for a little extra zing, and streamlined the process a bit.

1/2 cup white vinegar
2 TBL kosher salt (or non-iodized table salt)
1 TBL whole black peppercorns
1 TBL whole coriander seeds
1 TBL whole yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp pepper flakes, or to taste
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped coarsely
6 Kirby cucumbers, sliced in half lengthwise

Combine the vinegar and spices in a 1-quart pickle jar. Shake vigorously to dissolve salt, then add garlic, dill and cucumbers, wedging the slices back-to-back. Add cold water to cover by at least 1/2", cover and shake again to distribute the spices.

Refrigerate for six days, shaking daily while singing.