Best Pickle Recipe
 

Looking for your best [COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]refrigerator[/FONT][/COLOR] pickle recipe. Any other also welcome.

I make them year-round for snacking, sandwiches, etc.
At least twice a month, sometimes weekly during harvest.
Usually in the Winter I use a combination from what I have in the crisper drawer.
Never exactly the same combination of veg but the brine basics are the same.

1-one cup of water, one cup of vinegar, in a small saucepan, on to simmer
- most often apple cider vinegar

2-add heaping Tbsp spice mix/seeds to the warming pan *

3-one tsp salt, glug of maple syrup or honey, (sugar optional)
- we don't like sweet at all in a pickle but a bit seems a nice balance of flavor

4-turn off heat when it simmers, let cool a bit while prepping veg/pickles

5-pack veg in 2 one pint jars and cover with brine/seeds, let cool to room temp, then fridge
- just add fresh water or vinegar if they need topping off to cover veg completely

Five east steps.

*I buy bulk whole seed and make a big batch of pickling mix in a pint jar...
whole seed peppercorn, celery, coriander, dill, mustard seed, bay leaves, hot pepper
flakes or a dried Thai hot.
fresh dill if I have it, garlic cloves, celery leaves, fresh habanero slices...

Best to do a trial small batch a see what combination of flavors you like. We like
mild spicy, low salt, low or no sugar, but lots of garlic.

I date my jars and use within a two week time-frame. Good longer but we like that fresh
flavor. I often use Persian, Armenian and Japanese cukes and veg that does not stay
crisp for much longer. I just make them more often. (and use less salt)...

I like to make long thin slices and thick rounds various thickness when just pickling
cucumbers...thin ones are great on a sandwich. Chopped up diced veg for tarter sauce,
added to tuna salad, or add olives for a muffuletta type chow.

This recipe is close to mine. Too many recipes on-line and too sweet and salty some of
them. (simmering the garlic first is a good idea) The pics are some of mine. That is
salsa on top of the cukes in the middle pic.
[URL="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ted-allen/refrigerator-pickles-cauliflower-carrots-cukes-you-name-it-recipe-2119945"]http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ted-allen/refrigerator-pickles-cauliflower-carrots-cukes-you-name-it-recipe-2119945[/URL]

Originally from food and wine I think.......

Serving: Makes 2 quarts
INGREDIENTS

Vegetables

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cups distilled white vinegar (5 percent acidity)

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

6 large garlic cloves, halved

4 to 6 long red or green hot chiles, halved lengthwise

16 dill sprigs


DIRECTIONS

Pack vegetables into 2 clean 1-quart glass jars. In another jar, combine the salt, sugar, vinegar, coriander and garlic. Shake until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 2 cups of water and pour the brine over the vegetables. Tuck the chiles and dill between the vegetables. Add enough water to keep the vegetables submerged. Close the jars and refrigerate overnight or for up to 1 month.

I make them similar to Oakley's, but with sugar as the sweetener and rice wine vinegar instead of apple cider or white vinegar.

What's a refrigerator pickle?
That being said any pickle with vinegar is a waste. They mainly taste of vinegar. How did they replace the good old fermented method to the point most people I know don't even know they exist is a serious question.
2 kilos of cucumbers
1 liter or more of water and salt 5% of volume (volume needed depends on how much space is left between the cucumbers)
3+l fermentation jar (the one with water in the lid)
garlic cloves (7-10)
2 old dill plants with seeds or if not at least a decent amount of dill seeds (the plants can be dry also)
5+ sourcherry leaves
Maybe one hot pepper for spiciness
The hard dill stalks will cover the cucumbers and keep it from floating, if not, use some woody branches or whatever other methods.
Let it sit. In the summer after about 5 days it should be good to eat, the taste will be different than after 10 days though, when it will be more sour and less cucumbery.

For fermentation I use grape leaves and cut the blossom end. Best in the cooler temps
of Sept in NY. Basement at 62-65 is perfect. D

Did not know sour cherry leaves were tannic.

I use the same whole seed spice mix, don't care for the store bought that has cloves
and cinnamon. I use lots of garlic and a sliced smallish horseradish root.
The horseradish leaves can be used as well as loose plain black tea leaves.
Grape, horseradish, tea leaves help keep the crispness. Cooler temps slow down the
fermentation so you can decide just how you like them.

I don't have a big cucumber harvest to do much more that a gallon crock. I get a long
harvest growing many varieties that keep us in fresh eating and the fresh fridge
method for snacking.

Many ways to enjoy our harvest. And no, mine do not 'just taste like vinegar'.

We also have not lost our love of fermentation. A whole section here about preserving
our harvest and a big one Worth started on fermentation.

...and these Guys in NYC...[URL="https://www.pickleguys.com/products.php"]https://www.pickleguys.com/products.php[/URL]
Love their New Pickles.

Without fermenting you cant go wrong with a 1 to 1 ratio of white vinegar and water, salt to taste and the spices you like as in hot peppers.
Pack jars pour in boiling solution screw lid on and wait at least a week.
My habanero cucumber pickles are the absolute bomb at around three weeks to a month.
Making more this weekend. :yes:
This same recipe also works wonderfully with okra or any other vegetable like cauliflower and so on.
You dont have to get fancy with the spices and if you like hot then the habanero is the way to go.
But it shouldn't be too hot for you.
Way better than the nasty sour store bought pickles.

Worth

Here are the pickles and the recipe I copied from the other garden thread.

"Okay I just tried one of the regular okra and it tasted like a spicy hot watermelon from hell.:shock:
My lips are burning.

I have no idea how it picked up the watermelon taste but it isn't bad at all.
The mix was one quart of RO water one quart of 5% white vinegar and 1/2 cup of salt.
Each jar got 5 habanero peppers cut in half and a teaspoon of dill seeds."
[IMG]http://www.tomatoville.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=74789&d=1498920244[/IMG]

I tried a new refrigerator pickle recipe and both my husband and I are now addicted to them. It's a good thing I'm having an exceptionally good cucumber year!

Here's the recipe - [URL]http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/10/quick-pickled-cucumbers-rice-vinegar-recipe.html[/URL]

I'm using my regular cucumbers for them and they're coming out great. They will keep for a month, but around here I don't think they will last that long!

Each recipe makes a quart. We've almost finished the first quart I made last week, and tonight I made two more quarts.

Rice Wine Vinegar
 

Try Rice Wine Vinegar.