There are refrigerator pickles to avoid, but this one doesn't fall into that category. I compared the recipe with a similar one from The Joy of Pickling, which is a reliable book. Linda Ziedrich's pickle is 3:1 water to vinegar while Ted Allen's is 2:1, so his brine is well within the safe range. There are two aspects of this recipe I would disagree with. He says to pack the vegetables tightly, but it's important in any pickle recipe that the vegetables are thoroughly bathed in the brine. I would rather make additional solution and pack a looser mixture for a more secure sense of safety. You don't want dry areas where one vegetable is jammed up against another. For the same reason, I wouldn't want the pieces of vegetable to be too big, reducing the penetration of the brine. Ziedrich says one month to age and one month beyond that, a timeline I'm comfortable with. Three months seems a little long. You can see Ziedrich's recipe at the Google Books link. Just be prepared to struggle with the yellow print. Her book is highly recommended for anyone with a serious interest in pickling and all her recipes are verified. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Armenian Mixed Pickles

Since the 50:50 brine meets the minimum safety margin and assuming you used on only dried spices, then they should be fine as long as you understand their shelf life will be shorter and some skimming might be needed. Dave

I made this recipe a couple of days ago, and I've made it several times since first reading this thread. This is my own version of refrigerator pickles: For the brine: 2 cups water 10-12 cloves garlic, peeled 2 cups white vinegar 3 Tbsp kosher salt Several sprigs of fresh dill (can substitute 1 Tbsp dill seed, if necessary) 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 Tbsp coriander seed 1 teaspoon mustard seed 6-9 Bay leaves For the vegetables: 6 cucumbers, halved lengthwise and ends removed (about 1-1/2 pounds) 1 carrot, cut into eighths, lengthwise (trim to length for jars) 1/2 onion sliced horizontally into strips 1-3 Habanero chilies (to taste – can use Cayenne instead for less heat) In a medium saucepan, bring 2 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. 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 4-5 cloves in each jar. Then pack the jars full of cucumbers, carrots, onions, and chiles. You want them to be tightly stuffed. Add the Bay leaves last, as they will easily slip into the jars when full of vegetables. Use 3 Bay leaves per jar. Bring the brine back to a boil, pour it over the vegetables to cover completely, let cool, then cover and refrigerate. I vacuum seal them with the jar attachment of a FoodSaver. The pickles will taste good in just a few hours, better after a couple of days. And they'll keep for about 2 months if vacuum sealed, although I generally use them in one month. This time I had to use part coconut vinegar because I did not have enough white vinegar, and I was also out of rice vinegar, except for red and black, neither of which I would use for this. I did buy another gallon of white vinegar the other day, so that I will have it on hand for more pickles. I got the cucumbers at the farmers' market and will go again soon for more. I'm posting this because cucumbers should be in season now. I did use some "pickling seasoning mix" from the grocery store instead of coriander and mustard seeds, as that was what it mostly contained. I haven't tasted them yet, but I'll let you know how the coconut vinegar worked out.

It’s so great to see other’s sharing my enthusiasm for pickles! (Never thought that sentence would come out of my mouth!) Notes – what I’ve found in my very limited experience: • I used (all 10) garlic cloves rather than bay leaves as I didn’t want them to compete in flavor and we’re rather garlic crazy around here… can’t really taste the garlic flavor, it’s incredibly mild. I think what one adds (bay leaves, chilis, etc. would be a fantastic way to alter and change the taste) • Anything without skin seems to absorb more brine: the cuke’s were sliced, so they were far more ‘pickly’ while the red onion and carrots are very mild (I’m not one to eat chunks of red onion, but these were amazing! I cut the tips of my beans so they’d absorb more brine. I’d say anything in ribbons will absorb more brine as well, and perhaps won’t stay crunchy as long, not that it'd last! • I can’t believe I forgot okra… I LOVE PICKLED OKRA! • I was curious about the “3 month” storage, and found this from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension: “Refrigerator pickles” Some pickle recipes that call for enough vinegar (5 percent acetic acid) can be stored safely in the refrigerator at 40° F or colder for up to 1 month. These pickles do not require heat processing, but they must be kept refrigerated. Do not decrease the amount of vinegar in these recipes; an unsafe product may result. BTW, I boiled water and sanitized the jars and lids prior to filling them, and made sure the brine covered the veggies completely. However, Alton Brown’s recipe for Bread and Butter pickles reads they will last up to 2 months. sleevendog, I now know what you mean by a wide bowl to pick out your favorites! Our pickles are not lasting… 3 quart jars and DH and I have eaten 1 ½ jars in a little over 2 days! We normally only eat pickled okra, and that’s with our salads. Thanks so much for the inspiration!