When my brother was younger, he loved pickles. In fact, the first time he met my future in-laws, he was asked if he would like some candy. He shyly shook his head no. Then he was asked, jokingly, if he would like a pickle. His eyes got very big and he nodded yes. My mother-in-law told that story for years. She was so surprised that a child would choose a pickle over chocolate. This month’s recipe is for pickles. Quick, refrigerator pickles. You may never choose these over a piece of chocolate, but I hope you head to your favorite farm stand and grab some cucumbers to give these a try.
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
- 6-7 pickling cucumbers
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
- ¾-1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Fresh dill sprigs (Use however much you would like, depending on how strong you want the dill flavor)
- 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 10-12 whole black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pinch of celery seed
- Slice cucumbers into slices about ¼” thick, or into spears. Gather clean glass jars and lids; set aside. (I have found that this makes 2-3 pint-size jars.)
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Heat, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until salt and sugar have dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- While brine is cooling, layer the cucumbers in the jars with the remaining ingredients. (Cucumbers, some garlic, a sprinkle of mustard seeds and red pepper flakes, and a pinch or two of celery seed – I do each jar individually and don’t actually measure out the spices.)
- Pour enough brine* into each jar to cover the cucumbers, making sure to leave at ½” headspace in each jar. Seal the jars to be airtight.
- Refrigerate for at least 5 days. Pickles will last for 4-6 weeks after those first 5 days. They may begin to lose some of their crispness towards the end of their shelf life.
*With this recipe, you will probably have brine left over. I prefer that to having to scramble and try to mix up more to completely cover the cucumbers.
Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
- 5 ½ cups sliced pickling cucumbers, about 1 ½ pounds
- 1 ½ Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cup white vinegar
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric (be careful – anything white will be stained yellow)
- In a large shallow bowl, combine cucumbers and salt; cover and chill 1 ½ hours.
- While the cucumbers are chilling, prepare your jars. I prefer to use pint-size jars for pickles. Make sure they are clean and you have new lids to use. Set aside. ( I get 3-4 pints.)
- Move cucumbers to a large colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well and return cucumbers to bowl. Add the sliced onion and toss with cucumbers.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the white sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Layer the cucumbers and onions in the prepared jars, dividing the spices between the jars. Pour the hot brine* over the cucumbers and tighten the lids. Let stand at room temperature for at least an hour before refrigerating.
The pickles will stay crisp for about a month, in the fridge. They are not intended for long-term storage.
*With this recipe, you will probably have brine left over. I prefer that to having to scramble and try to mix up more to completely cover the cucumbers.