Today is my second attempt at my new weekly post called Cooking with Collin that features a favorite frugal recipe of mine (or a favorite of a Hip2Save reader). This next recipe I am going to feature is something that I LOVE so very much and something that I was obsessed with when I was prego! Any guesses?!

Well, pickles, of course!!

Today, I am going to show you how to easily make your own homemade pickles… and these pickles taste a heck of a lot better than store bought! I can guarantee making them will get you feelin’ like quite the kitchen diva! You also may have to keep opening your fridge just to see your beautiful pickles displayed in the jar. I smile proudly every time I glance at my pickle jar! Oh the confidence I feel from making homemade pickles!

Besides that fact that making homemade pickle boosts your status in the kitchen, they also taste fabulous! And you can use them in so many dishes. From deviled eggs to tuna salad to a peanut butter pickle sandwich. Yes, there is such a thing. And this “thing” is delicious. I’m not strange… I’m just a perfectly proper pickle poppin’ princess who enjoys the finer things in life and you will too!

Before telling you how to make your own homemade pickles, here are couple pickle facts:

*Asia consumes more pickles per capita than any other region.

*Americans consume more than 2.5 billion pounds of pickles each year – that’s 20 billion pickles! And since it takes almost 4 billion pickles to reach the moon, all the pickles we eat would reach the moon and back more than 2 times!

*If it weren’t for pickles, Christopher Columbus might never have “discovered” America. In his famous 1492 voyage, Columbus rationed pickles to his sailors to keep them from getting scurvy. He even grew cucumbers during a pit stop in Haiti to restock for the rest of the voyage.

(Source credits: I Love Pickles and Pickle Facts!)

Homemade Pickle Recipe (Source: Food Network)

Ingredients

* 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
* 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
* 1 cup water
* 1 cup cider vinegar
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* Pinch kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
* 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice

Directions

Combine onion and cucumber slices in a clean jar. You can re-use an old pickle jar (if you have one on hand).

Combine all the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan (made from stainless steel, glass, or ceramic materials) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 full minutes to wake up the flavors of the spices. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the onion and cucumber slice, completely filling the jar.

Allow the pickles to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate. I let my pickles sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours before enjoying them. So if you have the patience, I would wait at least a day or so.

I can’t wait to hear how you much enjoy making and munching on your own homemade pickles!