Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Oh its been too long, friends! All the recent travel and coming from Asia to the US for a few months has made life full and crazy. But, wow, can I just say how thankful I am for friendship and community on both sides of the ocean? I have just felt that so deeply this week. Good-byes are never easy in this nomadic life we have, but reunions with friends and family are so good too. Its a tough place but there is much good in it as well. Today I have a quick guest post from my long-time friend, Laurel. This is her recipe for refrigerator dill pickles. I know I have a recipe already on here for dill pickles, but hers is a little more measured, rather than my pinch of this and dash of that one. It also doesn't call to heat the brining liquid, which is much quicker and doesn't make your kitchen smell like vinegar! I hope you can give it a try! Laurel says, "They turn out great and taste a lot like store-bought pickles."

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

1 ½ lb small pickling cucumbers (Chinese –style long cucumbers are best, but any cucumber works)

2 cups white distilled vinegar

2 cups cold water

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3 Tablespoons kosher salt (I use regular table salt and use 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon dill seed (or dried dill weed)

1 tablespoon mustard seed (or dry mustard)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp celery seed

Evenly divide the garlic, dill and sliced or speared cucumbers among four wide mouth jars.  (I don’t have standard jars, so I make a batch of the recipe and divide it among the jars that I have – sometimes I am making 5-6 small jars instead of 4 larger jars). 

In a large bowl, mix together vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, celery seed, salt, and mustard 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. 

Refrigerate at least one week before eating.  During that week, shake jars once daily to continue to mix the spices. 

If you don't like dill pickles, try these spicy bread and butter quick pickles!