Crisp Fresh Dill Refrigerator Pickles
These pickles are simply amazing. If you plant pickling cucumbers in the summer, you will be canning them all summer long. Crisp and fresh, these will last in the refrigerator for up to a year. Since they take up room in the fridge, you will want to share with family and friends!
Ingredients
Brine
- 6 c water
- 2¾ c vinegar
- 2 heaping tbsp sea salt (regular salt is okay if you're in a pinch, but best if non-iodized, which may make your pickles less crisp)
- 1 tsp alum or Pickle Fresh (calcium chloride) (link to buy on Amazon below)
Seasoning & cucumbers per PINT jar/container
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 white pearl (cocktail) onions
- 2-3 dill weed heads
- 4-6 peppercorns
- 1 shake red pepper flakes (one light shake, or more if you like spicy pickles)
- 1 tsp about 8-10 coriander seeds (cilantro seeds)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Fresh medium (4"-6" long) pickling cucumbers if medium in size, slice in half. If small, keep whole.
Instructions
- Heat water, vinegar, alum and salt to boiling over medium high heat.
- Put in refrigerator to completely cool, best to do so for several hours or overnight. Brine must be VERY cold when adding to pickles or your pickles will be soft instead of crisp.
- Add dill, garlic, onion and seasoning spices to jar. (The spice amounts don't need to be exact. I guesstimate it by just putting the seasonings in the container.)
- Add washed, trimmed (stem & flower end) and halved pickles. (I read somewhere that you should be sure to remove just the little tip of the flower end, because it helps keep the pickles more crisp over time.)
- Fill jar with brine to within ½ inch of the top.
- Place lid on the jar and tighten.
- Tilt jar back and forth to mix up the spices.
- Refrigerate for at least 2-3 days before eating. (Although I will cheat sometimes and have one the day after!)
Notes
Although your jars will look prettier with uniform sized pickles, you can mix it up if your garden is starting to wane at the end of the summer. Also, you can do cross-cut slices for sandwiches.
