What do you do when you only harvest three cucumbers? You make a jar of refrigerator pickles, of course!
Preserving your garden veggies is always a good way to make your harvest last longer.
And if you don't want to drag out all your canning supplies - or aren't comfortable with, or knowledgeable about, traditional water bath canning - this refrigerator pickle recipe is just what you need.
You don't even need any special pickling ingredients!
I only found three cucumbers in the garden this morning, but that was just enough to make one jar of pickles.
Since I was only going to be making one jar, there didn't seem to be any sense in actually canning them, so refrigerator pickling it is!
Most refrigerator pickle recipes are about the same - water, vinegar, sugar, salt, etc. in varying amounts.
The pickles of course...
And then some add-ins like garlic or onion, and some spices.
Since we also grow garlic, I grabbed a bulb from the pantry that I just harvested from the garden a few weeks ago.
If you want to make dill pickles, then of course you need some dill. I always like to use fresh herbs instead of dried when I can - and especially love fresh dill.
Either way, this is what country living is all about: making recipes using things that you've raised and grown yourself on your property. There's really nothing like it either taste-wise or satisfaction-wise.
I also love to make this recipe because I have this cool slicer in my utensil drawer that makes the crinkle cuts in potatoes .... or cucumbers!... for years. For this recipe, feel free to make the slices as thick or as thin as you wish. It's up to you.
My Mom gave it to me eons ago, so likely it was my grandmother's. But I hardly ever use it. So it's fun to get a chance to use it. (And also the reason why I never throw anything away.)
Anyway, here's how easy it is to make refrigerator pickles.
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
First you need to make the brine.
Mix the water, white vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolves. Set aside and let cool completely.
Into a clean pint mason jar, add the cucumbers and garlic, then a good amount of dill, peppercorns and mustard seeds.
Pour the cooled liquid over the contents of the jar. Make sure that all the cucumber slices are covered with the liquid but leave at least 1/2" headroom so the vinegar liquid doesn't rust the metal lid of the mason jar. Shake to combine the ingredients and then refrigerate until chilled.
You will be enjoying crunchy delicious pickles in just a few hours, but for maximum flavor, let your jar marinate in the fridge for a week.
Then, enjoy straight from the jar, on a burger or sandwich or chopped into egg salad or tuna salad!
Pickles should be good for 4 to 6 weeks after opening.
And if you have more than 3 cucumbers, you can double or triple this recipe as needed!
