Saturday, July 24, 2010

Refrigerator Pickles

I'm not a huge pickle fan.  I do like watermelon rind pickles, and hope to make and can some this weekend.  When I was a kid, my mother used to make something we called refrigerator cucumbers.  I looked for a recipe recently online, and found something that seemed similar  - but of course I couldn't leave it alone, and had to diddle with it.  The recipe called for lots of sugar and vinegar, but since I don't like anything "sweet and sour," I converted it to a dill version:

1/2 of a medium onion - sliced thin
5-6 pickling sized cucumbers (I don't grow cukes, and bought English cucumber. Used 1 1/2)  sliced thin
1 Tbs. pickling/Kosher salt
about 2 tsp. dill   (I used dried)
pinch dried red pepper flakes   (optional)
solution 1/2 water, 1/2 white vinegar to cover cukes.

Place sliced onion, salt and dill in a medium (preferably glass) bowl.  Muddle a bit with a spoon to help release the flavors.  Add cukes, cover with vinegar/water solution. Stir, then cover tightly, and refridgerate at least overnight before eating.  Keeps a week or more in the fridge. 

These get icy cold in the fridge, so are a nice side dish on these hot days.  I also like them on cold sandwiches.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting the recipe. I have a surplus of cucumbers so I will make some.

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  2. Hey Deb - this sounds like a really great recipe, and takes all the heavy-duty work of processing them in a BWB. I have a recipe for dill pickles and you use some onion, and just a little bit of sugar to take the real tang off of the vinegar, and I thought they turned out pretty well. I haven't made any for a few years, and had some left over, but after all of this time, they're too soft to eat now - I cut them in spears. I'll have to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. Take care.

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  3. I have been making Mom's and Grandma's pickles for many years for Christmas. Grandma enjoyed mine too, but she did stand over me while I made them many times. They are sweet and sour and are delicious with pistachios.
    I am just catching up with your blog as I closed mine last year. I would suggest that you have a look at Tracie Eads Connor's, la verte domestique.
    Love, D

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