I’m a canner by nature. I love to cook up a batch of something yummy to save and store for later. I really love fermenting and canning my own, but when summer is in full swing and wonderful things are coming at us from farms all around Connecticut, it’s the perfect time for refrigerator pickles! Here’s a quick pickling brine that you can use to pickle almost any firm vegetable. I love making a large jar of cucumber pickles, adding onions, radishes, garlic, carrots, cauliflower and peppers as I go along. This is a fail-safe way of pickling vegetables! They don’t keep as long as canned or fermented pickles, but they will last about two months in the refrigerator. Another great thing is that you don’t need a special jar. Any non-reactive jar will work (meaning stainless steel, glass, or enamelware), so recycle some of the jars you already have!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 pounds cucumbers (about 6), cut into thick slices
- ½ an onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- 20 dill sprigs (optional)
Preparation
In a large, non-reactive pot, add salt, sugar, and vinegar until dissolved. Add cold water, and stir. Pop it in the fridge to chill until your vegetables are ready.
Cut the ends off the cucumbers and cut into thick slices. Slice the onion. Smash the garlic. Layer the dill, spices and vegetables into a large jar. Cover with the brine. Put the lid on it and place it in the back of the refrigerator for about a week, then taste! They should be perfect! That’s it! You’re done!
In my family, as we eat the pickled foods, we add more. When the liquid starts to get low, I mix up a little more brine. When you get down to about half a jar, feel free to add more veggies and shake well. It’s like a never-ending jar of wonderful, fresh pickles you’ve made yourself.
