In the summertime, I have a little vegetable garden that I keep on the side of our house. I grow a lot of different vegetables, but year over year, cucumbers seem to do the best. They are the most prolific plants. Once they get going, my son goes out to the garden every morning to bring in the daily haul. Because of this, we eat a ton of cucumbers in the summer months. So many, that I am always looking for new ways to prepare them. This recipe for refrigerator pickles has become a favorite in our house. It’s easy to prepare. There’s no canning equipment required. We eat these pickles as a snack and as a side at meals. They are fantastic.
PICKLES SHOULD TASTE LIKE…
People have big opinions about what a pickle should taste like. In our previous town, there was a barbecue restaurant that would bring pickled vegetables to every table like an appetizer. This little bowl included cucumbers, carrots, onions, and peppers. They were pretty spicy, but I loved them. I’ve toned down the heat a bit in this recipe, but otherwise tried to mimic the flavor of those pickled vegetables. This is pretty spot on.
I encourage you to get creative! This brine makes for a salty pickle, but you can change the flavor profile by altering the herbs or spices. For instance, you might eliminate the onions and add ginger instead. Rather than dill, you can try using lemongrass or rosemary. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You can easily make a lot of different kinds of pickled vegetables at once using this brine. Just change up your solid additions to each jar.
(If you’re looking for another way to use your supply of garden cucumbers, check out this recipe for Greek Salad with Fresh Mint and Cucumbers.)
YOU CAN PICKLE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING
Get creative with your pickle contents! You can pickle just about anything. Cucumbers. Carrots. Peppers. Onions. Garlic. Cauliflower. Beets. Ginger. Green Beans. Zucchini. It’s worth a shot. You might find that you really enjoy a unique combination. I like to pickle things that I would not ordinarily find on the grocery store pickle aisle. Pickling is also a great way to preserve garden produce. Refrigerator pickles are at their best after 24-48 hours, and last up to three weeks.
PICKLE JARS
I like to pickle in quart sized, wide-mouth ball jars, but you can use anything. If you’re looking to save a little money, save your glass jars from spaghetti sauce or salsa. These will work just fine as long as they’ve been cleaned thoroughly before use.
The brine for this recipe is designed to fill four quart-sized jars. That translates to eight pint jars, or about sixteen jelly jars. Modify as necessary for more or less pickling.
The Best Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 4 quart jars
- 4 lbs cucumbers, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 sweet onion, rough chopped
- 12 garlic cloves, smashed
- 8 stems of fresh dill
- Whole peppercorns
- Red pepper flakes
- 7 c filtered water
- 1 c apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Slice the cucumbers, carrots, and sweet onions and divide evenly between the jars. (I like everything a little chunky. This will keep everything crisp rather than produce soggy pickles.)
- Dived the garlic cloves and stems of fresh dill between each jar. Add peppercorns and red pepper flakes to taste. (I probably use 10-12 peppercorns per jar and about 1/8 tbsp red pepper flakes per jar…but I just sprinkle. I don’t measure.)
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the water and apple cider vinegar with the sea salt. Whisk to dissolve the salt completely. After this is mixed, divide this liquid evenly between the jars. (The vegetables should be completely covered. If there is any extra room, top off with filtered water.)
- Refrigerate the jars. The pickles are best after 24-48 hours, and will last up to three weeks.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.