Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles.
PREP TIME: 15 minutes YIELD: 1 quart
Pickling cucumbers may make a world of difference in the quality of the pickles you create. The key is to choose pickling cucumbers that are tiny, firm, and have very few seeds. It is not necessary to utilize a pickling kind of cucumber; nevertheless, you should only use cucumbers that are no larger than an inch in diameter and have a firm feel to them.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 kg of young, crisp cucumbers.
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of cider or white wine vinegar for every 1 pint of water.
- 1 and a half teaspoons of kosher salt or any other kind of non-iodized salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar or 1 and a half tablespoons of light honey (clover or wildflower works well)
- 2–4 individual garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds in their entire form
- 1/2 milliliter of whole black peppercorns in the peppermill
- 2–4 grape leaves or horseradish leaf pieces that are around 3 inches long (optional)
- 2–3 flowerheads of dill, or 2 big sprigs of fresh dill leaves, or 1 tablespoon of dried dillweed
NOTE
For further recipes for pickling in the refrigerator, refer to the chapter on cold storage.
HOW TO MAKE PICKLES IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND STORE THEM
You could make these refrigerator pickles using carrots, cauliflower, radishes, or pretty much any other vegetable. In this recipe, I’m using cucumbers, but you could also use carrots, cauliflower, radishes, or pretty much any other vegetable.
They are ready to eat in a few days after you prepare them and have a mild taste reminiscent of deli dill, in addition to a satisfying crunch. Theoretically, these pickles may be stored in the refrigerator for at least three months; however, I never make it that far before I end up eating them all.
Be aware that this recipe does not include a sufficient amount of vinegar to allow for the safe canning and storage of the finished product at room temperature; instead, it must be stored in the refrigerator. It is the acidity, in conjunction with the cold storage, that ensures their long-term preservation.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove a little piece off the blossom end of each cucumber (this is the part of the cucumber that is opposite the stem end, but if you’re not sure, slice off both ends). Because the end of the cucumber that formerly had the blossom attached contains enzymes that may cause pickles to become softer, chopping off that small piece can result in pickles that are better and crunchier.
- Cut the cucumbers lengthwise into spears or half, unless the cucumbers are extremely little, in which case you may leave them whole.
- While stirring the mixture from time to time, bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar or honey to a boil. When the brine reaches a boil, remove it from the fire and let it to cool to room temperature. It is OK to speed up the process by placing the brine in the refrigerator; however, this step is not required. 4. In the bottom of a clean glass jar, layer the garlic cloves, the mustard seeds, the peppercorns, and one of the grape or horseradish leaves, if you are using them.
It is not necessary to use canning jars for these pickles since they are going to be stored in the refrigerator rather than in the canner. - Turn the jar so that it is standing on its side, and then begin stuffing cucumbers into it. As soon as there are sufficient cucumbers in the jar to keep them lined up correctly, turn the jar so that it is standing upright so that you may continue adding the ingredients. It is important that the cucumbers be packed in so closely to one another that they keep each other in place beneath the brine; continue adding cucumbers until there is no more room for them. As you add the cucumbers, tuck in the dill and any residual leaves that you have.
- Pour the brine that has been allowed to cool over the cucumbers. It is important that they be thoroughly submerged in the liquid. Put the pickles-to-be in the refrigerator once you have secured the lid and screwed it back on.
according to the liquid. Put the pickles-to-be in the refrigerator once you have secured the lid and screwed it back on. - Before tasting the pickles, wait anywhere from four to five days to allow the taste to fully emerge.
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