REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

Making refrigerator pickles is easy and fun and something that you can do very quickly.  I used small burp-less cukes (no Kirby's in the store or the garden at this time), green beans, small carrots, sweet onion, jalapenos (for flavor and a little heat) and cauliflower.

Recipe

2 cups white distilled vinegar
4 cups of water
6 t Kosher salt
2 T Pickling spice
2 t Red pepper flakes
2 Cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups Splenda for baking
2 Bay leaves, crushed

(combine the spice, pepper flakes, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks into two equal piles)

Veggies of your choice, I chose:
6 cukes, quartered
6-8 carrots, cleaned and trimmed
1 large sweet onion, cut into big chunks and pulled apart
2 Jalapenos, seeds cleaned out and cut in half lengthwise
Handful of green beans, trimmed (I pick out the straightest ones I can find in the produce section)
Sprigs of fresh dill
Hunks of cauliflower - great filler to pack the jar
 6 large cloves of garlic, peeled

Bring the water and the garlic to a boil and boil 4-5 minutes.  Add the salt and the Splenda, bring to a boil, boil until the salt and the Splenda dissolve, remove from the heat.

To your jars, add the divided spices, some of the dill sprigs and the divided garlic you have removed from the brine. Pack tightly as many veggies as will fit into your jars.

Bring the brine back to a boil and ladle to fill the jars and cover the veggies completely.  Let them fully cool, label and refrigerate. After just a few hours you could eat them but I like to refrigerate and leave them for a few days.  They will keep in the refrigerator for approximately three months.

Packed and ready to label.

 In the fridge, ready, all you have to do now is wait.

Delicious, great with sandwiches or to set out with some salami and cheese as an appetizer before a dinner meal.

Please note that this recipe has been created because of our likes and you can change the spices and veggies to your likes.  We like it spicy but if you don't, leave out the red pepper flakes, we like it a little sweet but if you don't leave out the Splenda. I would however, leave in the jalapenos for the flavor they impart - just don't eat them if you don't like spicy. The're your pickles - add whatever spices you like. You may make your own pickling spice but I prefer to buy it in a big bag vs a small can that is always very pricy.  I also love the jars with the chalk label but you can just use a chalk label and recycle mayo jars or any jar you happen to have on hand.

Resource

Pickling Spice, Hoosier Hill Farm Pickling Spice, 1 Lb.
Chalkboard Labels, Wrapables Fancy Rectangle Chalkboard Labels for Organizing, Labeling, and Weddings, Various Sizes, Set of 24
Martha Steward also has chalkboard labels at Staples
Jars as shown, The Chalkboard Collection by Blue Harbor, HomeGoods

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