Quick pickled snap peas

A deliciously crunchy and flavourful treat!

Freshly-picked snap peas, also known as sugar snap peas, are one of the reasons I adore gardening. The sweet-tasting pods offer such a satisfying crunch when you bite into them, and the adorable and delicious little peas inside are a nice bonus. I love adding them to salads and often toss some into stir fries as well. Recently, I purchased a bag for a crudité platter and ended up with a few handfuls left over. I certainly was not going to let them go to waste, so on a whim I decided to pickle them. What a delicious and successful experiment that was! So far I’ve used them on a charcuterie board and sprinkled them on a salad; I’m sure I’ll come up with lots of other ways to enjoy them. If you are a fan of quick – often called refrigerator – pickles you’ll likely enjoy pickled snap peas and you can find lots more pickling inspiration elsewhere on my website.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (3.5 oz / 100 grams) snap peas
• 3 slices fresh ginger root (or garlic, if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) rice or apple cider vinegar

Method

• Wash the peas and trim the ends off. If they are not the new ‘stringless’ variety (which I love), carefully remove the tough string that is found along the back of each pea pod.
• Pack the pea pods into a clean 1 cup (250 mL) jar, adding ginger or garlic slices at the bottom, middle and top of the jar.
• Heat the 1/4 cup (60 mL) of water in a glass measure in the microwave (or use a small pot). Add the salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the rice vinegar and stir again.
• Carefully pour the brine into the jar, covering the peas and ginger / garlic. Depending upon how tightly you’ve packed the jar, you may need to top it up with an additional teaspoon or two each of water and vinegar to fill it right to the top.
• Put the lid on the jar and let sit at room temperature for one hour, giving it a gentle shake every 15 minutes or so. Transfer to the fridge and let rest overnight.
• Pickles are ready to enjoy after 24 hours and can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

Makes 1 jar; recipe can easily be multiplied.