You know what I like with my barbeque?

Pickles. Really tart pickles.

I think the tartness of pickles adds a delicious contrast to both the salty, smoky taste of most barbequed meats and the sweetness of many barbeque sauces so a jar of pickles — preferably homemade — will always be found gracing the table at any barbeque fête The Chef and I throw.

I recently developed some barbeque recipes for Feast Magazine, and while my coffee-crusted pulled pork was in the oven, I whipped up a batch of quick tart pickles too. And when I say tart … I mean tart.

As I mentioned above, I love tart pickles. The original recipe for these pickles called for 3/4 cup sugar, but I cut that amount down and also added some apple cider vinegar to increase the tartness factor. If you prefer a sweeter pickle, stick to white vinegar and add that 1/4 cup of sugar I deleted back in.

But, whether you go tart or sweet, I think you’ll find these quick pickles are indeed a fabulous compliment to your next barbeque!

Quick Tart Pickles

Adapted from Terra Savvy

Ingredients:

• 7 to 8 miniature (about 12 to 14 ounces) cucumbers
• 1 small onion
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the cucumnbers, then thinly slice and place in a large glass bowl.

2. Slice the onion into thin slices, then add to the cucumbers. Toss together.

3. In a large saucepan, add the white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice; bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Carefully pour the cooked pickling mixture over the cucumbers and onions; mix well to evenly distribute the pickling spice.

5. Place a large piece of waxed paper on top of the cucumber, onion, and pickling liquid mixture, ensuring some of the waxed paper is hanging over the sides of the bowl. Place a plate on top of the waxed paper, ensuring that the cucumbers and onions are thoroughly covered with the pickling liquid.

6. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

7. Once cooled, remove the plate and waxed paper, then pack the cucumbers and onions evenly into glass canning jars. Pour the pickling liquid into each jar, ensuring the cucumbers and onions are covered.

8. Seal tightly, then refrigerate overnight to allow the pickling liquid to fully infuse the cucumbers and pickles.

9. Serve, and enjoy!

Notes: I used a glass bowl to marinate the cucumbers and onions in so that I could make sure they are fully covered by the pickling liquid; if you don’t have a glass bowl, stainless steel and aluminum bowls will work as well (do not use copper or brass as these can react with the vinegar). Also, I was able to fit all my pickles into a 2 quart canning jar, so two 1 quart jars should be enough as well. Finally, as mentioned above, these are pickles are on the tart side so feel free to add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar if you prefer them sweeter!

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