My cucumbers are finally ready for harvest! I planted way too many plants this year….I will chalk that up to my lack of gardening experience, but it works out great for my pickle loving kids!
My husband has a wonderful pickle recipe for canning, but I am not that patient. I prefer to make quick pickles. They are easy, quick, and this method works great with any garden produce you want to add. (radishes, jalapenos, carrots, bell peppers, yellow or red onions) You can also easily make this recipe your own by adding extra sugar (these are not sweet at all), garlic, or dried chili. The possibilities are endless!
This recipe is for a quart jar. If you are making multiple jars, multiply the recipe by the number of jars.
Quick Pickles
1 washed and dried quart jar with lid
1 cup white vinegar (plus a bit more if needed for jars)
2-3 small pickling cucumbers, washed, sliced or speared
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
filtered water to fill the jar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 dried red chili pepper – broke in half
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed
4-5 sprigs of fresh dill
2 small bay leaves, or 1 large
Directions:
In a small pan, combine vinegar and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside. (no need to boil)
Fill the jars with sliced or speared cucumbers, salt, mustard, coriander, peppercorns, chili pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and dill. Add vinegar and sugar mixture to the jar. It should be half full. If needed, add a little extra vinegar. Pour in the water until the jar is full. Cover and shake until the brine is mixed. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving, preferably one day. The longer they sit, the better they get!
Pickles will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 months. They tend to lose crunch after that. If the jar of pickles doesn’t look “right” before that amount of time, toss it. Please note that these need to be stored in the refrigerator. They are not canned pickles.
