Pickling is a way of preserving food by immersing fresh fruits or vegetables in an acidic liquid or saltwater brine until they are no longer considered raw or vulnerable to spoilage. It is one of the oldest methods of food preservation; humans have been pickling foods for nearly 5,000 years.
Cucumbers are the most widely pickled food item. In the 1650s, Dutch farmers in New York grew cucumbers in the area that is now Brooklyn. Dealers bought and pickled the cucumbers, then sold them out of barrels on the street. A few hundred years later at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, pickles helped launch one of the most successful marketing campaigns in U.S. history. H.J. Heinz, the “Pickle King,” enticed fairgoers to visit his out-of-the-way booth with a free gift. By the end of the fair, Heinz had given out about 1 million free gifts of pickle pins and gained many new customers when those fairgoers tasted his pickles.
2017 has seen a resurgence of the popularity of dill pickles. Pickles and pickle juice are being used in all sorts of recipes. Naturally, as a food writer, I tried a variety of recipes using this year’s food craze. The pickle cocktails I prepared for our family to sample weren’t particularly noteworthy. And none of us were at all interested in pickle juice popsicles. But both pickle breads I made were a hit at our house. This pickle quick bread is a great accompaniment to cold weather soups and stews.
Dill Pickle Quick Bread
Dill Pickle Bread (adapted from delish.com) Time required: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles (about 2 spears or half of one whole dill pickle)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9″-x-5″ loaf pan with cooking spray and flour the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, oil, and eggs until the mixture is smooth.
Whisk together the sour cream with the eggs and oil.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring until it is combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.
Fold in the chopped pickles, cheddar cheese, and dill.
Add the cheddar, dill & chopped pickle into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Transfer the batter to the prepared dish.
Bake the loaf until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out.
Cool the bread completely before slicing. Serve warm or toasted with soup, stew or chili.
It is wonderful toasted with a pat of butter as a side to some soup!
Pickles are a staple in my kitchen for great tasting reasons! ~Linda
Dill Pickle Bread (adapted from delish.com) Time required: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles (about 2 spears or half of one whole dill pickle)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9″-x-5″ loaf pan with cooking spray and flour the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, oil, and eggs until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring until it is combined. Fold in the chopped pickles, cheddar cheese, and dill. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake the loaf until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool the bread completely before slicing. Serve with soup, stew or chili.
I’ve never had dill pickle bread before! Sounds so delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us! Can’t wait to make it at home.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did when you make it!