refrigerator pickles

Last week I made my first ever pickles and they are so delicious! And so easy to make. I had no idea that refrigerator pickles are so simple to make. I used the 123 method (1 part sugar, 2 parts vinegar, 3 parts water) and pickled locally grown cucumbers and red onions and garnished with various herbs. I love the addition of the raw garlic and dill to the cucumbers and I can’t wait to continue to experiment. These pickles need to be stored in the refrigerator and are not shelf stable.

Ingredients

3 cups water

2 cups vinegar (white is typical but champagne or rice wine vinegar are next on my list to try)

1 cup sugar

1 to 2 cucumbers - sliced (or replace with other vegetables such as sliced red onion, carrots, cooked beets)

Optional: chopped fresh dill, peppercorns, jalapeno, allspice berries, fresh bay leaves

Creating the Magic!

Combine the the water, sugar and vinegar in a pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the chopped vegetables and herbs/spices to the pan. Let everything cool. Once cooled, pour into a glass container and place in fridge. Pickles will last for 2 weeks in the fridge. Ideally, leave the pickles for 6 hours to pickle prior to eating. Enjoy!