Recipe: Zucchini pickles

It's the age-old question: what do I do with all this zucchini? The stuff practically plants itself, and there's always one or two (or five) of the shiny green squash on the plant, ready to pick. In my family, several of us don't like the texture of cooked zucchini, so for years I've been making lots of zucchini bread (I'll post that recipe too) and trying to freeze or give away the surplus harvest.
When I discovered this recipe and decided to adapt it, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it gained enthusiastic support at our house. 3 simple ingredients and a few hours in the fridge and our zucchinis taste like an extra crispy blend between bread-and-butter pickles and sweet pickles. They are great on sandwiches or just for plain snacking if you like the tangy, sweet flavor - which I do!

Zucchini Pickles
1-3 zucchini*
1 cup water
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1-2 tsp salt
Slice zucchini into thin coins. Combine water, sugar, vinegar, and salt in a jar and mix well. Add zucchini and store in the fridge. Flavor will be best if you don't start eating for at least 3 hours.
*Tip: Harvest them before they get too big, about 6 inches, or the length of your hand. I used to wait until my zucchini resembled baseball bats until I realized they were more tender and had much smaller seeds if you get them young.