Refrigerator pickles

I miss mom's pickles. You guys know the ones -- crunchy, perfectly seasoned, with a wonderful garlic/dill flavour. Only a limited quantity were made each year, and their scarcity made them taste even more delicious. I can remember helping to make them in Ardrossan, the kitchen sink full of ice cold water and floating cukes, scrubbing until my little fingers cramped up. Good times.

These are not those pickles.

But hey, they're pickles, dead simple to make, and your hands won't freeze making them. They taste pretty good and it's a nice way to preserve some of the wonderful cukes from the farmers market. So grab a few jars and get pickling :-).

Refrigerator pickles
adapted from this recipe (recipe makes a 1-litre jar)

pickling cukes, quartered lengthwise (quantity depends on the size of the cukes)
1/2 c white vinegar
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds OR 1 tbsp black mustard seed and 1 tbsp cracked yellow mustard seed
(optional) 1 whole hot pepper (dried) OR 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves of garlic, minced (not too fine)
small handful fresh dill

Sterilize a 1-litre jar and its lid and let cool. Place seasoning, garlic, and dill into the jar, and then pack in the quartered cukes (leaving a bit of space at the top). Pour in the vinegar then fill the jar with enough cold water to cover the cukes. Seal with the lid and shake the jar for about a minute. Refrigerate for six days, shaking daily to distribute the goodness.

I quadrupled the recipe, altering the seasoning in each one. The spicy ones are quite hot, even after one week. These are supposed to keep in the fridge for several months so it'll be interesting to see how their flavour changes over time.