Refrigerator dills for mercurygirl

annie1992

8 years ago

I don't make dill pickles for canning any more, as the processing makes them softer than I like and we don't really eat a lot of them anyway. My family prefers bread and butter pickles, the cinnamon red hot zucchini pickles and the 10 day sweet pickles that I use in potato salad and other dishes. I like pickled beets and dilled green beans better than dill pickles, but we do eat a few. As a result, I put a couple of 2 quart jars in the refrigerator while the cucumbers are plentiful, and I ferment some which I then refrigerate to use after the others are gone. This is the recipe I use, because I like the garlic, but you could leave it out if you like. The recipe makes a single quart, but I double it to fill the 2 quart jars. You could use two quart jars instead, if you want to make more than a quart. They keep well in the fridge for a couple of months, I haven't tried to keep them longer, because they never last any longer than that. (grin)

Refrigerator Dills

3 pickling cucumbers 4-4 1/2" long, but no longer
fresh dill a few sprigs per jar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic crushed with the side of a knife
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds
1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns

Wash cucumbers and cut into spears or slices. Pack into a wide-mouth pint-sized canning jar.
Tuck several sprigs of dill in between the cucumbers. (Actually, since these are not canned, you could use any cool glass jar you have)
In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, garlic cloves, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. (I often skip the cooling step and just pour the hot brine over the cukes, then cool to room temp and refrigerate)
Pour liquid over cucumbers in the jar. Make sure to include all the mustard seeds, peppercorns, and garlic. (If making multiple jars, include two cloves of garlic per jar and divide the mustard seeds and peppercorns approximately evenly between jars.) If you are using a slightly larger jar and the liquid doesn't fully cover the pickles, fill the rest of the jar up with water/vinegar in an equal ratio.
Close the jar and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours but preferably 48 hours. Enjoy!

These are super easy and stay nicely crunch. I'm going to make slices next, and I find that they stay crunchier if you use very fresh cucumbers.

Good luck, I hope you like them!

Annie

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

plllog
8 years ago
How fortunate! I was thinking a few days ago that I'd like to make some refrigerator pickles, but it hadn't gotten farther than the notion...

Thanks, Annie!
Lars
8 years ago
I used to make similar refrigerator pickles, but mine had Habanero chilies instead of black pepper, and I used a lot more garlic plus coriander seeds and bay leaves. I also added some carrot strips and onion to mine. Right now I don't have an Habanero chilies, but I expect to have some fairly soon. I should have just bought some at the market.

Lately, however, I've been making fermented dill pickles, and they do not have any vinegar in them. I use an airlock lid when making them, but the spices are pretty much the same. I don't use sugar in any of my pickles, as I like them very sour. They do get some sweetness from carrot, if I include that. The last batch I made (yesterday) included seven pickling cucumbers that I got at that Playa Vista Farmers' Market (couldn't go to Mar Vista today), and one jar has four cucumbers, and the other jar has three cucumbers plus a bit of daikon an carrot. I varied the spices in the jars as well. Sometimes I don't like daikon with the pickles, but the last daikon that I got had a better flavor - I think they must vary a lot, possible due to the time of the year. Anyway, I'll see how these come out. I have to let them ferment for a week, and so I won't know for while, but I do have another jar that I started a week ago, and so they are ready to be tasted. On my new diet, I am supposed to be eating a lot of vegetables, and so I also made a couple of jars of kimchi, and I added daikon to that as well. I like the last batch of kimchi I made better than what I can buy, but so far I like the pickles I buy better than the fermented ones I've made, although I do like the refrigerator pickles - especially if I put Habanero chilies in them.
Related Discussions
A SAFE refrigerator dill pickle recipe? Please?
Q
Comments (7)
f you are making a pickle for the fridge, there is no safety worry. You can use any ratio you like for vinegar and water. Sorry but I have to disagree with that statement. First because a 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water is the recommended MINIMUM safe ratio for any pickle - fridge or not - with the exception of a couple of NCHFP lab tested recipes. And the recommended storage time for that strength of brine is 3 months max. Second because of all the water in the cucumbers any brine is quickly diluted even further. So using too little vinegar to begin with can quickly and easily lead to rapid listeria growth even in the fridge. Listeria has been proven to grow even down into the mid-30s. So the ratio of vinegar is still quite relevant even in refrigerator pickles as that ratio is what will prevent listeria growth and control the length of safe storage time. Dave
...See More
Ball refrigerated dills questions - hoping to make now.
Q
Comments (2)
Yes if you aren't going to process them then you begin with sterilized jars. You need to stick to the recipe instructions. It is far too easy to get the ingredients out of proportion when increasing jar sizes. You can use old or new 2 piece lids but the plastic ones are not air tight so air can still get in and cut the storage time. Keep in mind that fridge pickles down't have near the storage life of canned ones. Things like bacteria still grow in the fridge. Dave
...See More
First time making dill pickles
Q
Comments (9)
What was the source of this recipe? If you used an untested or unapproved recipe there really is no way to know for sure if that information wasn't supplied with the recipe. As a very general guideline 4-6 weeks is recommended but that is assuming that the cukes were heated up in the brine before filling the jars so the brine could permeate the cukes and that a safe ratio of vinegar to water was used. Plus it sounds as if they had no processing after filling the jars so the only heat the cukes have been exposed to is a short time in the hot brine after it was poured over them. So based on the info provided you have what is called a refrigerator pickle and their storage time is limited to 6 weeks due to the threat of listeria developing. Give then a few days and then taste. If they taste good to you they are ready to eat. But be sure to limit their storage time. Dave
...See More
Annie's refrigerator dill pickles question
Q
Comments (6)
This is the one I was thinking of using. It is from Minnesota Food Association. It mentions about not heating the brine, but also mentions that you can. So if heated is this one okay to use? Thanks Dave for answering my many questions just want my canning to be safe.c Refrigerator Dill Pickles (1 quart) Ingredients: 5 medium cucumbers 1 Tablespoon pickling salt, sea salt, or kosher salt (but not iodized table salt) 1 cup cider vinegar 1 cup water 1 head dill or small bunch dill leaves 1 clove garlic (optional) 3 black peppercorns (optional) Directions: For the crunchiest pickles, select firm, dark-green pickling cucumbers that have not started to ripen to white or yellow. Cut them into spears or slices, as desired (left whole, they will take a long time to pickle in the fridge). To increase the crunchiness, you can sprinkle the cut cucumbers with a couple of tablespoons of salt, let them sit for 2 hours, and then rinse and drain before proceeding, but this step isn't absolutely necessary. I rarely bother with it. Prepare a quart jar with a lid by running it through the dishwasher or washing it in very hot soapy water and letting it air-dry. Any jar with a lid will do; the wider the opening, the easier. Place the dill in the bottom of your jar, peel and crush the garlic clove (if using), and drop that in along with the peppercorns (if using), then put in the cut cucumber. Mix the salt, vinegar, and water in a separate container, stirring until the salt is dissolved, then pour it over the cucumbers, filling the jar right to the top. If you're in a hurry to enjoy your dillies, heat the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil before pouring it over the cucumbers (just know that heating unpasteurized vinegar kills off the healthy probiotic bacteria that make pickles good for you). Pop on the lid and put the jar in the fridge.
...See More
2ManyDiversions
8 years ago
Posted a while back... but plllog, consider tossing some other veggies in with those cukes! Yummy!:

• 10 cloves garlic, peeled

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

• 6 teaspoons kosher salt

• Several sprigs of fresh dill

• 1 teaspoon celery seed

• 1 teaspoon coriander seed

• 1 teaspoon mustard seed

• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

• 1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns (if you have 'em)

1) In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil, reduce the heat so the water simmers and add the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and salt, raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat.

2) In 2 clear 1-quart jars, place a few sprigs of dill. Divide the seeds and peppercorns between the jars. Using tongs, remove the garlic from the brine and place 5 cloves in each jar. Then pack the jars full of cucumbers, carrots, scallions or green beans, cauliflower and chiles. You want them to be tightly stuffed.

Photos for uploading · More Info
mercurygirl
8 years ago
Thank you so very much! They all look wonderful. Note to self, grow some dill. Here's a recipe I found and liked a few years ago, for another storage alternative.

Crisp Cucumber Freezer Pickles
7 cups thin sliced cucumbers ( with peel)
1 medium sweet onion, medium sliced
1 cup red sweet peppers, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1/2-1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup white sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Stir well, cover and refrigerate for 3 days. Stir every day.
Pack
into freezer containers and cover with brine (I use ziplock bags to
have the pickles in small portions and then place the small bags in a
larger freezer container). Freeze, thaw before serving.

Refrigerator dills for mercurygirl

Comments (4)

plllog

Lars

Related Discussions

2ManyDiversions

mercurygirl

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US