We don't like cucumbers. It might make you wonder why we grow them. The reason is because we love pickles, especially refrigerator pickles. Refrigerator pickles aren't too vinegary, are salty enough, have excellent fresh dill flavor and are wonderfully crisp. I've tried canning dill pickles and they always seem too vinegary and are mushy. If you've got a good dill pickle canning recipe send it my way otherwise for now I am sticking with refrigerator pickles.
You will need:
-3 cups of water
-3 TBS salt
-6 TBS vinegar
-sliced cucumbers
-a bunch of fresh dill
-a clove of minced garlic
Mix the salt, water and vinegar together and stir until the salt is dissolved. I layer the cucumbers, dill and garlic into any nonreactive container. I use as many cucumbers as I have on hand or will fit in the container. Again I use as little or as much dill as I have on hand or based on how dilly I want the pickles to be. You could also put more garlic in if you like, there is no wrong way.
Then pour the brine solution over them so that everything is submersed. Put them in the fridge and let them sit for at least 48 hours or until they have soaked up enough brine and enjoy!
I used to make my dill pickles the old fashioned way in a crock. Last year I started making refrigerator pickles and will never go back to making them the other way. They are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThis will save me some time, I was planing on heading to the library to find a recipe to do refrigerator pickles. Now I can just try yours. Our cucumbers are just starting to produce so in a week or two I will be drowning in cucumbers and I will give this recipe a try!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWe're with Robin! Where's there's space there's refrigerators pickles. Can I recommend slicing the garlic instead of mincing it. We really enjoy the fingernail size slices of pickled garlic with the rest.
ReplyDeleteVanessa, so I made your pickle recipe on Saturday and we tried them yesterday. They are awesome thanks again for the recipe. I have one question for you. They are really popular around the house and I think they will be all gone today. Can I reuse the brine mixture by just adding more cucumbers or do I need to throw it out and start over?
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you liked them! They go within a day or two in our house, I always have to have a batch or two sitting to take the place of the old one. When I got this recipe I was told you could reuse the brine. I tried it last year and did not like it. I recently tried using an old brine for a small batch and refreshing it with some new and it was better but still nothing like a newly made brine. The flavor is fresher and more potent if you throw out the old and make new each time. There just isn't enough salt and vinegar left in the brine to use it a second time and get the same flavor. Although that's why I like it because it has enough salt and vinegar but not too much.
DeleteThanks Vanessa, we'll go with the fresh brine. I think I will back off the salt just a little, they were a bit salty for some of us. Maybe I'll try 2 TBS instead of 3. Thanks again for a great recipe.
DeleteYour recipe sounds so easy. Don't tell Daphne but hers had too many ingredients for my taste though I might add the hot pepper to one batch following your recipe. I have lots of small cucumbers forming so must get to making this with the ones in the drawer already.
ReplyDeleteIt is such an easy recipe, if it was difficult I would do it. I also just like the clean fresh taste of a simple pickle. You could definitely add pepper or anything else your taste buds desire, this is really just a simple base recipe that could be changed for different flavors.
DeleteHi! Thanks for the refrig dill recipe. I have made the sweet refrig pickle recipe before but want to try this. About where do I start with the amount of dried dill weed for the fresh dill? My dill is all done blooming now and gone to seed. Thanks for your help. Nancy
ReplyDeleteOne tablespoon of fresh herbs equals a teaspoon of dried herbs. I never measure it, only eyeball the amount but I would say I use more or less a tablespoon of fresh so I would start with a teaspoon of dried dill and go from there. Hope that helps!
DeleteThanks so much for your answer and help!!! Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy - made this recipe earlier this week and tasted the pickles last night BUT they were too, too salty! Are you sure it was supposed to be 3 tablespoons of salt? I had to throw them out. I looked at Daphne's recipe and one from another blog and their salt amount was miniscule.
ReplyDeleteI always make them using 3 TBS salt and they are just fine. I always use canning or Kosher salt maybe there is a difference in the salt being used? Otherwise I am not sure why they would bee that salty.
DeleteFound your blog visiting Stoney Acres. I made 3 quarts of Spicy Dill Refrig pickles. I love them. They're suppose to sit in the refrig for 10 days. That will never happen in my household.
ReplyDeleteThey never sit in my fridge that long either!
DeleteI am happy I found this recipe. I do can pickles for longer term storage, but these look great when you just have a small batch and quick too!
ReplyDelete