Any pickle-lovers out there?

I know how ot make them now!!  When I went to my first Russian restaurant with Sveta and Meggy there were these fabulously tart, sweetly delicious pickles as an appetizer. 

Sveta posing with the menu at Rousski Dom
where I discovered the pickled deliciousness

Sveta told me she knew how to make them so she came over a week or so ago to teach me.  It's so natural for her it was hard to write the recipe down, easier to demonstrate. I jotted it down as best I could. 

Essentially it consists of really salty water, apple cider vinegar, cloves, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, hot peppers, green onions, black peppercorns, and garlic. We also threw some zucchinni in there to fill the jars.  The process involved two boiling water soaks.  It's the 2nd one that the pickles remain it.  We did a spicy and not so spicy jar. 

Those of you who come visit in the next 6 months will be able to try them!! It will last at least that long if not longer if I take a while to eat them.  Sveta told me pickling is very common in Russia to preserve veggies throug the cold winters.  Without knowing this process they'd be really low on veggies during the winter. It was a fun new activity in the comfort of my own home:)