Before my cucumber plants bit the dust (the wussies, it was not even to a proper frost, thank you, more like a 38 for a couple of hours), I harvested the last of the fruit and set about making refrigerator pickles. I’ve tried many other people’s recipes, don’t like B&Bs at all, and think rather highly of this recipe of my own.
I just love the ease of refrigerator pickles. Combine ingredients, refrigerate for 24 hours, and walla, pickles! Sure, they don’t last nearly as long as the heat-processed jarred pickles, but what makes you think they’re going to last more than one week anyway??
Spicy Sweet Pickles
Ingredients
- 5 cups rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 dried red chiles
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 6 smallish cucumbers (I used pariser market and white pearl between 3 and 5 inches long)
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour over the sliced cucumbers in spring top jars and refrigerate. Should keep a week or two…if you can refrain from noshing on them every day.
Here’s how I had some of these the next day, on the side of a ham, white onion and provolone melt:
Fridge pickles are dead easy, mix and match your vinegars and herbs/spices, add more peppers, or less. Leave out the sugar and add dill weed for dills. Experiment, you’ll love it!