When we planted our garden we carefully selected vegetables that we knew would get eaten. No point in planting something that no one was going to eat. My husband suggested getting lots of cucumber plants because our son Eric loves to eat cucumbers just as much as he loves fresh tomatoes. This vegetable, along with our zucchini, is one that really took of to the point that we didn’t know what to do with the excess amount. So I decided to make pickles for the first time ever. And guess what? Not only was it super easy, they were amazingly delicious!
Refrigerator pickles do not require any long cooking or expensive equipment. They will be ready to eat as soon as you like, I prefer them having sat in the fridge for about a day or two. Honestly, once you taste these pickles and see just how easy they are to make, you may never want to buy pickles from the store again
| Prep Time | 5 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 8 Minutes |
| Passive Time | 4-48 Hours |
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 6-8 fresh cucumbers
- 1 Sweet Onion
- 1 red or green pepper
- 5 cloves of garlic sliced or chop, whatever you prefer
- 8-10 cups white vinegar
- 4 cups white sugar
- 3 cups kosher salt no substitute, must be kosher salt
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard Seed
- 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorn whole, not ground
- 1 Teaspoon Celery Seed
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
Ingredients
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Instructions
- You will need 4-6 quart jars. You might not end up using all of them depending on how much the vegetables shrink down from the salt. Other tools needed will be: 4 or 6 quart pot, bowl for the veggies to sit in while chilling in the fridge, cling wrap or saran wrap, ladle to pour contents into jars, Mandolin for slicing veggies if you want to get fancy- I just used a kitchen knife
- Wash your quart jars in hot soapy water, lids as well. Rinse and set aside to dry as they will not be used for about 4 and a half hours later.
- All veggies washed, slice your cucumbers at the thickness you prefer. If you don't have a mandolin to get perfect slices its not a big deal, using a kitchen knife works just as well. Slice all your cucumbers and add them to your resting bowl. Slice your onions and peppers as well, of course adding as much or little as you like, If you don't like onions or peppers in your pickles you don't have to add them. It will not take away from the taste.
- Once all your vegetables are sliced and in your resting bowl, pour kosher salt all over them, making sure that they all get covered. Toss well in the salt and cover the veggie mix with saran wrap directly on top making a light cover. Refrigerate for three to four hours, checking every half hour or so to turn the veggie mixture in the salt. Do not be alarmed at the amount of water accumulating at the bottom of the bowl. The salt is drawing it moisture out and that means the process is working.
- After 3-4 hours of refrigeration, run the veggie mix under a cold water tap for several minutes to make sure that the salt is rinsed off. Please take some time to rinse them all well, getting all the salt out. Let this sit for a moment while you prepare the brine.
- In the pot, add your 4 cups of white sugar, yellow mustard seed, peppercorns, celery seed, ground turmeric, ground clove and 6-8 cups of white distilled vinegar. Turn heat to medium high and add your garlic cloves. Stir to dissolve the ground spices and sugar in the mixture. Add the water to the mix to make up for any loss due to evaporation.
- Two minutes after the brine starts to bubble, add your veggie mixture to the pot and the simmering will slow to a stop. Stir the mixture well through the brine and let it return to a simmer. As soon as it begins to bubble at the edges of the brine, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the heat source. Let it sit until it becomes room temperature.
- When the mixture is at room temperature, you can ladle all the contents into the individual quart jars. Take the brine right up to where it curves on the jar and close the lids tight. Refrigerate for 4 hours or eat right away if you like. I prefer the taste of the pickles after a couple of days sitting in a cold refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Remember- these pickles are meant to stay in the fridge. These have not been prepared to sit on a shelf in your pantry. They should last in the refrigerator at least 2 weeks to a month but once your family tastes them they wont last long at all!
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I make mine almost the same way, I use equil parts vinegar and water! And I use a one, Gallon jar! I put all the veggie mix in it, then pour the simmering brine into the jar…! I use a knife to kinda slide around to get air bubbles out! Then put a lid on and wait till it cools to room temp! Put in the fridge! (Sometimes I turn upside down for a few min to make sure all the bubbles are out!). I usually start eating them as soon as they are cold! They get better and better every day!
They are so addictive, aren’t they?! I find myself making excuses to buy lunch meat to have sandwiches for my pickles and eating more hamburgers too!