My family loves pickles - the spicier the better. I have a recipe for pickles that are made in the refrigerator. No canning is involved. Here is the very easy how to.
You will need cucumbers, pickle size, lots of dill, garlic and peppers (optional). I made a special trip to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market for my supplies. I'm hoping next year to have my own garden and thus my own supply!
The pickles will be made and stored in an ice cream bucket. I usually make two bucketfuls.....one spicy and one plain dill.
Thoroughly wash the cucumbers.
Cut the cucumbers into slices, chunks or spears. I usually cut the very ends of of each cucumber and discard it. Then I cut the rest of the cucumber into slices. This makes for no "end pieces" pickles.
Put a few bunches of dill in the bottom of the bucket.
Add your cut up cucumbers.
Next comes the garlic.
Place 5 toes of garlic into the bucket with the cucumbers.
Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons pickling spice over the top.
At this point, you can add more dill. If you want your pickles to be spicy, you can at this point, you can add peppers. I added a "hot" mix of pablano, jalapeño, banana and cayenne peppers. If you choose to add peppers, be sure to wear rubber gloves or put plastic bags on your hands to protect them from the "heat" of the peppers.
Place dill on top.
Next, put 11 cups of water,
2 cups of white vinegar,
and 1/2 cup of canning salt to a large pot.
Boil this mixture for at least 3 minutes or until the salt is dissolved.
Remove it from the heat and let it cool completely before pouring it over the cucumbers.
This amount of liquid will cover the cucumbers and fill the bucket almost to the top.
Make sure to label your buckets! Place the buckets in the refrigerator and give them about 24 hours before eating. Enjoy!
"Americans consume more than 9 pounds of pickles per person annually." -ilovepickles.org
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