August 05, 2006
Dill (Refrigerator) Pickles
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb small pickling cucumbers (like Kirby), cut in half lengthwise
2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups cold water
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dill seed*
1 tablespoon mustard seed*
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
fresh dill
Directions:
Evenly divide the garlic, dill and cucumbers among four wide mouthed pint jars. In a large bowl, mix together vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, celery seed, salt, mustard seed and dill seed. Use a funnel to fill each jar with brining liquid.**The spices may float to the bottom, so use a spoon to evenly divide anything that is leftover into the jars. Cap tightly and refrigerate at least one week before eating.
*Before adding the mustard seed, red pepper and dill seed, I crushed them slightly in my hand.
**I suggest you do this over a large bowl. The cucumbers start to float and displace liquid. Add the overflow back into the brining mixture before you fill up the next jar.
My thoughts:
I have always wanted to make dill pickles at home but traditional canning always seemed a little scary. Refrigerator pickles seemed to be the logical solution. These pickles came together super fast and look so pretty in their jars. Judging by how delicious they smelled going into the jar and how pickle-y my hands smell now, they should be fantastic.
16 Comments:
I have the same feelings about canning...I really want to try but it seems so involved and I'm afraid I'll do something wrong! I'll have to try these sometimes because I LOVE pickles ;-) Great site, I'll be stopping by often!
Those pickles look delish!!!
I'm going to try the Kiwi Sorbet this week. I can't wait to make it :)
That's a fantastic photo, and those are some delicious-sounding pickles! Mmmm :)
Ohhh! I have ALWAYS wanted to do this!
When I was little my mum would make pickled cucumbers--I've never tried making them myself. This method looks like even I can do them :)
j
How long should these keep for in the fridge? Any guesses?
I would wait at least a week before eating them.
Actually, I meant how long would they stay good for (i.e. an expiration-type date). Thanks!
Oh, I would say they would keep for about a month or so. The pickling will continue though, so they will be stronger tasting than they were at the beginning.
I think you forgot to list dill as an ingredient, but I just guessed. I found something called "dill flowers" at the greenmarket and used that instead. They smell like dill hardcore, and they're kinda pretty. I also threw in allspice and cumin seeds. Why not! These smell great as I put them in the fridge. We'll see! -- Julie
Julie: Good luck! Dill is included in the recipe, I just left the amount up to the pickler. Let me know how it came out! Dill flowers sounds cool!
Holy crap! These are sooo good. I used a little too much spice all around, and too much hot pepper in particular. I like spicy, but it overwhelmed the flavor. Really spot-on recipe though. I'm astounded how much they taste as they should, given it was my first pickling experience! Thanks so much! --Julie
Thanks so much Julie!! I loved making them and coming up with recipe- I kind of winged it and it was my first pickling time too so I am extra happy it worked well for you too! Yay!
My kids and I made your pickles. YUM!!!!!
I like your site. Trish
canning is not really as scary as it seems...really just involves a little bit of boiling water before and after. plus, if for some reason one of your seals doesn't take (make sure you use new lids...that should help) you can always refrigerate that one and eat it sooner. also, i've had a 100% success rate with canning (knock on wood) and i cover my jars with a dishtowel until they seal (you can hear them "pop" throughout the night). good luck, and give it a try!
I'm going to try this with green beans. Hopefully it will work out ok!
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