I'll confess this right up front: I don't like pickles. And it's true, I actually hate anything with dill in it. I know; I'm weird. But my husband and children LOVE pickles - especially dill pickles - so I always try to keep them well supplied.
This year, I've had cucumbers dribbling in from the garden a few at a time. We don't eat very many raw cucumbers in salads and such, and so far the harvest isn't big enough to bother canning them, so I've been making refrigerator pickles.
And friends, making these pickles is SO easy! If you can use a knife, you can whip up these pickles in no time!
Per pint jar:
fresh, small cucumbers*
1 cup white distilled or apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon non-iodized fine salt (I use Redmond's fine sea salt)
1 heaping tablespoon dill seed**
2 fresh grape leaves (optional)
1. To ensure crunchy pickles, I always soak my cucumbers in ice water before I begin. HOWEVER, the more fresh your cucumbers, the less you need to soak them. If I bring small cucumbers straight in from the garden, I just soak them while I prepare the brine. Otherwise, I recommend soaking them for at least a half hour...and up to several hours.
2. When the cucumbers are near the end of the soak time, prepare the brine: In a small saucepan, add the vinegar, water, and salt. Gently heat and stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Add the dill seeds. Turn the burner to it's lowest setting and don't let the brine boil.
3. Cut off the blossom end of every cucumber. This is another way to ensure the pickles don't end up mushy. If you're not sure which is the blossom end, cut off both ends...which I like to do anyway, just cuz.
4. Cut the cucumbers into the shape you want for your pickles. Spears tend to stay crunchier than rounds.
5. Place one grape leaf in the bottom of a quart jar. (Grape leaves help keep the pickles crunchy, but they are optional.) Pack the prepared cucumbers into the jar. (Using a canning jar is ideal, because it will easily take the heat of the warmed brine. You can use an upcycled glass jar, but it may be more likely to break when warm brine is poured into it.)
6. Pour the prepared brine over the pickles. Place the remaining grape leaf on top.
7. Put a lid on the jar and allow it to come to room temperature, then refrigerate. Allow the pickles to soak for at least a week before eating them.
* Small cucumbers result in crunchier pickles. But if you have overgrown cucumbers, you certainly can use them, too. They just aren't optimal.
** You may also use fresh dill heads, but the flavor won't be as strong.
Optional add ons:
1 garlic clove or
1 or 2 chopped jalapenos or
chili pepper flakes to taste
whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
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