Quick pickled avocado slices

Easy preserving method yields a very tasty treat!

I adore pickles and find they are the easiest way to add a punch of colour and flavour to any meal. The great news about pickling is it doesn’t have to be a time consuming endeavour – it’s really easy to make small batch ‘quick pickles’ which get stored in the refrigerator so there’s no need to process the jars in a boiling water bath. All sorts of  fruits and vegetables can be transformed into delicious pickles and you can find loads of quick recipes on this blog including pickled grilled corn, pickled turnips, pickled apples and pickled blueberries. I recently spotted a photo of pickled avocados and knew I just had to give it a whirl. The results are amazingly delicious – I plan to use my first jar in Tex-Mex steak sandwiches and fajita bowls this week.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (90 mL) cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) water
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) cracked black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) chili pepper flakes
• 1 large or two medium firm avocados, sliced

Method

• Put vinegar, water, salt, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, sugar, peppercorns, and chili pepper flakes in a microwave-safe container.
• Heat on high power for 1 – 2 minutes until mixture comes to a boil. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Let cool for 20 minutes until lukewarm (10 minutes if refrigerated).
• Place avocado slices in a 250 mL canning jar (I like wide mouth jars for this purpose). Pour the cooled pickling brine over top, making sure seasonings also go into the jar.
• Let jar sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate overnight before consuming.
• Pickles can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Makes one 250 mL jar; recipe can easily be multiplied.