Mexican Sour Gherkins With Lemon Verbena - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup lemon verbena leaf (NOTE)
1 strip lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 cups mexican sour gherkin cucumbers, ends trimmed
1 cup champagne or 1 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Place the verbena leaves, lemon zest, and peppercorns in a quart jar. Pack with the cucumbers, being careful not to crush them.
Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil in a small nonreactive pot, stirring to dissolve the salt.
Pour over the cucumbers, leaving a 1/2\" headspace. Make sure the cucumbers are submerged. Check for air bubbles, wipe the rim, and seal.
Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Adjust time according to your altitude.
NOTE: Lemon verbena looks similar to Thai basil but is used to add a lemony flavor to food.