Refrigerator Dill Pickles

When you get a big cucumber from the garden, you make pickles!

Or, perhaps you have smaller cucumbers.  Either way, give these dill pickles a try, you’ll be glad you did!

Refrigerator Dill Pickles – From Family Stamping and Food

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 C water
• 2 C white distilled vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. tumeric
• 5 T pickling salt
• ~8 medium/large cucumbers*
• Per jar:
  • 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
  • pinch, red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. minced onion
  • 1-2 fresh dill head
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • dash, pepper, if desired

Directions

Begin by slicing up the cucumbers using a mandolin slicer.  Or, slice them very thin, by hand.  Be sure to cut off the blossom end, and don’t use that in pickles.  Alternatively, you can slice the pickles into spears.  We did that this year (2013) and LOVED it. 

Next up, combine the vinegar, water, salt and turmeric in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.

While the brine is coming to a boil, prepare the jars.  Place one garlic clove (peeled), a dill head, 1 tsp. minced onion, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of pepper, if desired and 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds. 

Evenly divide the sliced cucumbers among the jars.  Pack them in well, but leave room for the brine. 

When brine has boiled, remove the saucepan from the heat.  Carefully, using a funnel if possible, pour the hot brine into the jars. 

Seal up by placing a lid on the jars.  Leave them on your counter until they reach room temperature. Then, place them in the fridge – keep them there for 4 weeks before you crack one open to taste.  Then, store in the fridge until they are all gone. 

We made a half batch and got three quart jars full of pickles! 

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Refrigerator Pickles

First of all, you guys make my day! I love your encouragement, so thank you for your comments! It's a pleasure to hear from you and know that you are enjoying the new recipes you try.

A while back I did some posts "from my mom's kitchen". This recipe is certainly classified in that category. Growing up, every summer we'd make refrigerator pickles and gobble them down. I know pickle recipes have been popping up all over the blogs lately, but my blog wouldn't feel complete without the sharing of this recipe!

These pickles were the first recipe we made at our new house because our garden is overflowing with cucumbers! The 4 jars we made last weekend are almost gone, and the garden is ready with more cucumbers -- guess it's time to make more pickles.

You'll need a few supplies for making pickles:

-A good, thin, cucumber slicer
-Cutting board
-A large bowl
-Canning jars, or other glass jars for storing the pickles

Once you have these, you're all set!

Mom's Refrigerator Pickles- Mom
{Print Recipe}

3 C sugar
3 C vinegar
~4 T pickling salt
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. mustard seed
2 onions, sliced
1 gallon sliced cucumbers

Mix all the ingredients together in a very large bowl.

Of course, my mom made these pickles :) It wouldn't be a recipe from my mom's kitchen without her expertise!

We used onion flakes this time, and they worked great!

Prepare your cucumbers....

Then, stir them in to the juices.

Allow them to "pickle" for just a few minutes, and then transfer them to jars.

Tongs work great for transferring pickles to jars.

Pour the brine over the top and store in the refrigerator.

This recipe is easily halved or quartered if you don't have very many cucumbers!

Enjoy.

This post is linked to:
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Tuesday Tastes
Ingredient Spotlight

Tomato Cucumber Pasta

This refreshing salad is the perfect compliment to a BBQ!

Tomato Cucumber Pasta - The Truax Family
{Warning... this feeds an army, and then some}  


Pasta
2 boxes (1 lb each) mini lasgana, cooked
3 cucumbers, quartered
2 pts. cherry tomatoes, halved
2 onions, diced
3 T Parsley, or 2 handfuls, fresh

Dressing
1 C white vinegar
1 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp, dry mustard
2 tsp. garlic salt

Prepare the pasta.  Place in a large serving container.

Make up the dressing.  Drizzle over the pasta until well coated.

Toss in the veggies.

Chill.

Serve cold.

You may wish to make this one day ahead of time, just stir occasionally.  If you do so, add the veggies fresh the day you serve it.

When I make it for a smaller gathering, I make a half recipe of both the pasta and dressing.

Enjoy!

Linked to: Ingredient Spotlight