Pickling Spice Recipe

This is a versatile spice mix with just about every seed on the spice rack thrown in. It is used for pickles of all sorts, from cucumber pickles to pickled eggs, corned beef, even pickled pigs feet. Foods are often simmered in pickling spices and water, such as pork chops, sauerbraten, New England boiled dinner, and corned beef and cabbage. You can use more or less of these ingredients to your taste.

Makes. About 3/4 cup
Preparation time. 10 minutes

Required
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
3 inches cinnamon sticks, total length
2 tablespoon dill seeds
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon mustard seeds, any color
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon celery seeds
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Optional
1 tablespoon mace
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds (or 1 tablespoon pods)
1 tablespoon juniper berries
2 star anise pods

Method
Put the cinnamon sticks and peppercorns in a plastic bag and smash them with a meat tenderizer or a hammer. Crumble the bay leaves into flakes about 1/8" size. Mix all the ingredients together and store in a tight jar.

This page was revised 4/16/2012