Wednesday, September 17, 2008

What's cooking Wednesday

At the grocery store last week there was a big bin of pickling cucumbers, and I remembered seeing a recipe for Refrigerator pickles. They are simpler than canned pickles, but they also can't sit on a shelf for a year - they have to be kept in the fridge. That's fine with me, since I don't have space to keep a dozen jars of pickles.

Refrigerator Pickles

6 c water
2 c vinegar
1/2 c canning salt
1/2 tsp alum (optional)
4-5 lbs cucumbers
1 large bunch fresh dill
1 large onion
2 whole cloves
2 tsp. sliced garlic

Bring ingredients to a boil. Wash 4-5 lbs of small cucumbers. Layer whole, unpeeled cucumbers, onion, cloves, garlic and dill. Pour vinegar solution over top and let set on counter for 3 or 4 hours. Refrigerate. They will be ready to eat in 2-4 days.

OK, so I didn't follow this very closely. I only made one jar, so I scaled back the solution, although I kept the ratios the same. I used sea salt instead of canning salt, but I have no idea if that makes a difference. I didn't use onion or cloves, but I put in a few cloves (whole) of garlic and also some celery seed with the dill.

They turned out very yummy. They don't taste like store bought, but they are good. Very fresh tasting, with a nice crunch. I might try a combination of apple cider vinegar with white vinegar next time. One nice thing is that as long as cucumbers are available, I can make a jar at a time. I have another empty jar now, so I'll make another batch next week.

(no photo. it's just a jar of pickles, anyway)

2 comments:

Mariposa del Diablo said...

We do fridge pickles every year. Try experimenting with things like squash and peppers. It's really good!

Shan said...

I'm going to give this a try. They sound great!!