Did you know ……. cucumbers make pickles?
Of course you did. And, now I can show you how to make your own.
I’ve had cukes coming out my wah-zoo ………
ALL . SUMMER . LONG .
I planted one cucumber plant this year.
JUST ONE.
But, you would have thought, with the amount of cucumbers I’ve harvested, they came from 10 plants!
Now …….. you might remember that I wrote a post, “Too Many Cucumbers? Make A Pizza Crust”, as a way to use up extra cucumbers but, I have found another way to use those suckers.
Pickles have been around since 2030 BC, thought to have originated in India.
The only way I like cucumbers is either on my salad or shredded and made into a pizza crust. I absolutely love the pizza crusts and they are a really great option for my gluten intolerant tummy but, frankly, they are time consuming and, when you have them coming on so quickly, you need a faster way to use them or preserve them.
If you’re not keen on canning, these Refrigerator Dill Pickles are the way to go. They’re quickly prepared and and just as easy to preserve.
I have also prepared them ahead of time by cleaning, slicing and storing them in a container in the fridge. Then, a day or two later when you have more time, make the brine and pack them into jars for storage.
It really is that easy.
A "Kosher" dill pickle does not mean it hs been prepared in accordance with the Jewish dietary Law but, it means it is a pickle made the way traditional Jewish New York City pickle makers prepared them, using generous amounts of garlic and dill to a natural salt brine.
I can’t begin to tell you how many batches I’ve made this summer, but it’s a lot. I’ve given away a lot. And, as you can see, I’ve kept a lot.
A lot, a lot, a lot ………..
I took about 6 jars to the lake with me for the Labor Day weekend where they promptly got consumed by my family.
One of my sisters took a jar home with her and when she finished them, called me to ask if she could reuse the pickle juice. Uhm …… IDK? I told her I thought it was worth a try, so she did. 🙂
It worked. I think she squeezed another two jars of pickles out of that same pickle juice until she said it started to look a little ………………
“Murky.” Her words, not mine. 🙂
I wish I could take all the kudos for the recipe but instead, I must give full credit to “Pinch Me, I’m Eating!”
If you have as many cucumbers as I had this summer, you will probably want this quadrupled recipe I have noted below, otherwise just visit the above mentioned site.
National Pickle Day is November 14, 2019
These refrigerator dill pickles are fantastic!
Oh, did I mention they’re easy to make? Or, there isn’t any canning required? Or, they become tastier as they age?
Did I mention that they last a very long time?
But they won’t ……..
These pickles are so good, I have been eating them straight out of the jar. I have also been chopping them up and adding them to my salad. I’ve put them in wrap sandwiches as well.
You won’t be disappointed …… Pinky Promise.
Homemade Refrigerated Dill Pickles.
Ingredients:
- 4 quarts sliced cukes
- fresh dill
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 4 cups water (I used filtered, from the fridge)
- 16 cloves garlic, smashed*
- 4 T kosher salt
- 4 t mustard seed
- 2 t sugar
- 2 t peppercorns
Directions:
Bring water, vinegar, garlic, salt, mustard seed, sugar and peppercorns to a boil, making sure the sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and let the brine cool to room temperature. While waiting for the brine to cool, pack your clean jars** half way with cucumber slices (spears or chips – whatever form you like) and add 1-2 dill sprigs into each jar***.
Fill the Jars about 3/4 of the way with the cooled brine, distribute the garlic, mustard seed and peppercorns evenly between your jars and begin adding more cucumbers and brine as needed to fill the jars.
Store in refrigerator for months. 🙂 They can be ready to enjoy within a week, or so but, the longer they sit in the brine, the better they get.
Editor’s Notes:
*I have also used minced garlic in place of whole garlic cloves and it still works. In that case, I used 8 T minced garlic in place of 16 cloves.
**You do not need to sterilize your jars since you are not canning these pickles, just make sure the jars, lids and bands (if applicable) are clean.
***I added more dill to the larger jars and smaller amounts to the smaller jars. (probably goes without saying – my followers are a smart group!)
“Pickles are cucumbers that believed in miracles.”
XO, Katy