We had lunch in an edgy restaurant a couple of weeks ago. DH’s meal came with pickled daikon radish, which was delicious! (And I don’t really like daikon all that much.) I asked the chef for his recipe, which he was happy to hand over:

1 quart white vinegar

1 lb sugar

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

4 star anise

1 tablespoon turmeric

1/2 tablespoon salt.

Boil all together and pour over 2/3 of a large daikon which has been peeled and sliced very thinly. I would guess it was sliced on a mandolin as it was very, very thin.

I've made refrigerator pickles with just cukes, and also with added carrot slices, among other things. I used a basic brine and varied the herbs & spices, so there's no recipe per se.

I've also made marinated olives by layering them with fresh herbs, cracked pepper, lemon or orange peel, garlic, etc., and covering with extra virgin olive oil, then refrigerating for a week or so. Once I also marinated some dried olives with gin and spices/herbs - that was an experiment I'm not sure turned out so great. The jar is languishing in the back of the fridge still.

What I'm trying to say is that I think you can wing it. There are plenty of recipes to be found online, and once you know the technique, the flavoring is up to you.

This one is very similar to what I do, except I increase the salt a bit and cut way back on the sugar to only a couple of tablespoons - and I use apple cider vinegar because I think it tastes better and is healthier than distilled.

https://www.marthastewart.com/338247/carrot-and-cucumber-refrigerator-pickles

Martha Stewart's site also has a number of recipes for marinated olives, etc....

https://www.marthastewart.com/search?q=marinated+olives

P.S. I found this in my files - it says 'from G'web', dated 2018, but there are many, many Gardenweb posts about refrigerator and other pickles - especially on the Harvest forum, so I don't know which one it's from, and I did try searching:

Refrigerator Pickles Recipe #3,450

For Brine:

• 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)

Veggies to Prep:

• 6 Kirby cucumbers, quartered lengthwise

• 6 young spring carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

• 1 handful large scallion pieces or green beans

• A few pieces of cauliflower to tuck wherever they'll fit

• May also use: Zucchini, onions, asparagus, red pepper slices

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.

3) Bring the brine back to a boil, pour it over the vegetables to cover completely, let cool, then cover and refrigerate. The pickles will taste good in just a few hours, better after a couple of days. And they'll keep for about 3 months.

P.P.S. A tip for searching here: I have to change the URL from 'houzz.com' to 'gardenweb.com' to be able to search G'web forums only.

Carol, I checked out the bottom link to Martha Stewart and it has lots of suggestions for what I want. Thank you!

You're welcome 🙂

Colleen, that sound great! I'm going to try it when I get a chance.

Yes, Colleen, I intend to kept this base "sauce" too. I guess my original reply to you didn't get thru and I just noticed it.

For pickled daikon, I use one of those julienne peelers. My recipe varies, but we like pickled daikon shreds on the sweet side.

I love fridge pickles. I first made them a couple of years ago when I had a whole bunch of left over brine from doing the boiling water bath ones. Pretty healthy snack too . . .

Colleen ... sounds like that would be tasty over thinly-sliced jicama too.

Here's the recipe I've been using for refrigerator pickles since 2017:

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 (from the tree in my back yard)

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 (or 3) 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 3 months.

Lars, thank you for your recipe. It has an interesting group of herbs and spices. I have the cucumbers and jalepinos growing quite well and so need something to do with all of them.

You only cut the cucumbers in half???? Do you leave the chilis whole?

Pickled Cherry Tomatoes (Tomates-Cerises a l'Aigre-doux)
Makes 1 quart
• 1 quart water
• 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 pound firm cherry tomatoes (round and plum varieties of all colors can be used)
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar or more to taste
• 2 sprigs fresh summer savory or tarragon
• 12 black peppercorns
In a large bowl, combine the water and salt, and stir to dissolve the salt.
Prick the bottom of each tomato once with a clean needle. Place the tomatoes in the salt brine, cover and marinate for 24 hours at room temperature.
In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring just to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and cool thoroughly.
Remove the tomatoes from the salt brine and drain thoroughly. Discard the salt brine.
Carefully place the tomatoes in a 1-quart canning jar. Arrange the herbs and peppercorns around the edges of the jar. Pour the vinegar-sugar mixture over the tomatoes. Secure the jar tightly. Let sit in a cool, dry place -- or in the refrigerator -- for 3 weeks before tasting.
Serve as a pickle, or as an appetizer, with toothpicks to spear. Once opened, the tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Moosemac, this sounds delicious too, and something to do with many cherry tomatoes.

I also make Pickled Bloody Mary Cherry Tomatoes. They are popular at parties. Same technique except substitute vodka and lemon juice for 2/3's of the water and use Bloody Mary seasonings. I tried making them with straight vodka but they were lethal. LOL

Yes, I just cut the cucumbers in half, and I get them at the Mar Vista farmer's market seasonally, as I do not grow them myself.

If you cut Habanero chilies in half, they will be even hotter, and so I leave them whole. They are also easier to handle this way. However, I have at times added just 1/2 Habanero, and that works out to give me enough heat.

One vegetable I thought I would like pickled was daikon radish, but it turned out that I hated it, and so I gave that to a Chinese friend who loved it. She said it was like pickles her mother made.

I also frequently make sauerkraut and kimchee, which I like to have as snacks. I add sauerkraut to a lot of sandwiches, but not kimchee, which I sometimes add to soups.

Lars, thank you for answering so quick. I bought and gathered to make this this afternoon. I also have a Bay tree and I think the fresh is different than the dried.

Moosemac, the tomatoes in Vodka sounds most interesting hah!

Ummm… Lars, peppercorns? mentioned in the directions but not inthe ingredients. How much of that?

Lars, i did make your recipe and tasted a pickle today. it is soooo good! Thank you again for sharing this recipe.