Will Trade for Pickles

My neighbor enjoys our fresh eggs.  Once in a while she will gift us with her amazing homemade cinnamon rolls (or flowers from her garden, or fresh veggies) as thanks.  I love this arrangement and its how I came to have 2 nice pickling cucumbers in my refrigerator.

The hubster and kids don’t like cukes per se but they LOVE pickles.  I thought I’d try my hand at making pickles to see if I could get them to eat those cucumbers up.  Sometimes you have to get crafty to get them to eat their veggies.  ?

These couldn’t be easier.

Fridge pickles are simple and quick to make.  Make a batch in the morning and enjoy them for dinner that night.  Plus they can last up to 3 months in your refrigerator.

The Perfect Recipe

I’m not into sweet pickles, hot & spicy pickles or dill pickles.  That’s why I love this adaptation of Ted Allen’s recipe.  It reminds me of the brined cucumber slices my grandma taught me to make when I was about ten years old.

It’s important that you use kosher salt, sea salt or pickling salt.  Table salt is a no-no.  Not because it won’t work but because it has an anti caking agent added to it.  That additive will cloud your pickle juice.  Table salt is also fortified with iodine which can cause your pickles to turn dark in color.

The vinegar to water ratio for pickling is usually 1:1.  That ratio ensures an acidic environment that will deter bacteria.  If I were going to can these pickles for shelf storage I’d definitely use the 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water, but these crisp cukes are headed for my refrigerator.   The 1:2 ratio in this recipe is enough to deter listeria or botulism in my fridge for up to three months.  Honestly, they won’t last that long!  We can go thru a pint jar in a weekend!PrintEasy Refrigerator Pickles

Ingredients

• 2 medium cucumbers
• 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic
• 1 TBS Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp. whole coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp. caraway seed
• 1/4 tsp. ground mustard
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 cups water

Instructions

1. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
2. Peel garlic cloves and add them to boiling water. Continue to boil on low heat for five minutes.
3. To a 1qt. canning jar, add sliced cucumbers, seeds and ground mustard.
4. After five minutes remove garlic infused water from heat. Remove cooked cloves from the water and add them to your canning jar.
5. Return garlic water to low boil and add vinegar.
6. Pour boiling vinegar solution into jar containing sliced cucumbers.
7. Allow jar to cool then add a lid and canning ring.
8. Will keep in refrigerator up to 3 months.

Tough Customers

There are 3 in my crew who are pickle gourmands and they gave these refrigerator pickles a big thumbs up.  Fresh food (without colorings and preservatives) just tastes better no matter how you prepare it.  I encourage you to give this easy recipe a try.