Fridge Pickles
Our first garden had a few cucumbers, and then Uncle Ray stopped by with more! A walk through the herb garden and a rummage through the fridge was all the rest we needed to turn those cukes into the perfect summer snack.
There is a 3-day hang time, so if you need pickles immediately, you may need to just go to the grocery store.
Ingredients:
5-6 canning jars with lids
6 cups water
2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup salt
10-12 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed lightly
10-12 dill sprigs, we used the whole plant from leaf to flower
2-4 cucumbers, sliced however you want to eat them!
3 tbsp black peppercorns
3 tbsp mustard seed
Optional Add-Ins:
Garlic scapes
Fresh chives
Caraway seeds
Pink Peppercorns
Cherry tomatoes
Pepper slices
Harissa paste
Method:
1. Place jars in boiling water to sanitize, about 10 minutes. When jars are out and dry, dip the lids in for a short period of time and then remove.
2. Combine water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, and continue until all salt is dissolved. Leave to the side to cool.
3. In each jar, place your aromatics of choice.
- For classic dills, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tbsp each of peppercorns and mustard seed, and a few pieces of dill sprigs should go in each jar.
- For spicy pickles, add harissa paste to taste to the jar.
- For pickled tomatoes, leave tomatoes whole.
- For a more subtle pickle, substitute caraway seeds for mustard seeds, and pink peppercorns for black peppercorns.
4. Tightly pack cucumber slices into the jars. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the slices until all vegetables are covered completely.
5. Close tightly, and put to the back of the fridge. Now, the hard part. LEAVE THEM ALONE for 3 days, shaking the jars gently once each day. You want to be sure that the cucumber slices are always covered by liquid.
6. On day 4, enjoy your delicious pickles! They will keep for about 7-10 days.