Pickled Avocado

Stop right there.

No, this is not a recipe to “preserve” avocados by canning the suckers and stashing ’em on a shelf in your pantry.

This is, however, a wicked tasty way to add a big punch of flavor to your average avocado, and to make your (holidaze) cocktail spread all that much more festive and interesting; so, fergettabout the guacamole and let us pickle us a couple of avocados or four.

Yeh. I think at least mebbe three; but four could be good, too.

Note: these pickles need to rest in the fridge for at least six hours (or, always more better, overnight) before serving; and will last for about one week in the fridge.

Unless you eat them all at one sitting as I came close to doing with this jar.

And I am not a huge avocado fan. Trust me, these will be on my table this season.

INGREDIENTS
•1 cup champagne vinegar
•1-1/3 cup water
•1 tbsp Kosher salt
•2 tbsp honey
•1 tbsp black peppercorns
•1 tbsp dried crushed red pepper
•4 or 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
•2 or 3 firm ripe, avocados
•1 sprig rosemary
•1 thinly sliced lemon, halved

Note: I used champagne vinegar, which I can get at my local markets for between $7 and $10 per jar. Feel free to use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar.

Note the second: after making several more batches, my munchie buddies and I have decided the we prefer using rice vinegar to the champagne vinegar; and, 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, used in place of the honey, is also a very nice – but mebbe a tad less “healthy” option. Still and all, it is all good, and you need you these pickles.

Stir the vinegar together with the water, Kosher salt, and honey in a sauce pan – I added a few Tellicherry peppercorns, too – and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until the salt has dissolved into the pickling liquid.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

Add the black peppercorns, crushed red pepper, and sliced garlic to a quart sized canning jar.

Cut your avocados in half, remove the pit, then slice and add to the garlic and peppers in the jar.

Pour the cooled pickling liquid over the avocado in the jar, then add the rosemary and lemon slices.

Tightly close the jar and stash in the fridge for at least six hours or…

yeh, you know the drill.

When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and spread on bread or crackers with assorted cheeses and mebbe blue cheese stuffed dates wrapped in duck bacon?

Just a thought.

Worked fine for us at lunch today, and, later, served with horseradish Cheddar burgers.

Yummm.