Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
Feel free to play around with other herbs and spices to make your own custom brine.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
1
bay leaf
1
cup white wine vinegar
2
tablespoons kosher salt
2
tablespoons sugar
¼
cup mustard, coriander, nigella, cumin, fennel, or caraway seeds
Preparation
Step 1
Bring bay leaf, vinegar, salt, sugar, and 1 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar.
Step 2
Meanwhile, toast seeds in a dry medium skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Add seeds to pickling liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender (they should yield easily between your front teeth), 30–45 minutes. Let seeds cool in liquid; transfer to an airtight container, cover, and chill.
Step 3
DO AHEAD: Store pickled seeds in their liquid in the refrigerator up to 3 months.