“For years, making the perfect pickle has been my culinary white whale My father used to make a big batch of sour dills in the summer that were absolute pickle perfection: crunchy, salty, dilly, with just the perfect pucker of sour. He passed away when I was 11 so I was not able to ask him his secret formula.”
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 1 Quart(s)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
- ½ teaspoon mixed pickling spice, store-bought or homemade
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 5–6 small pickling cucumbers cut into spears
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pickling or fine sea salt
- Water
Preparation
Put the garlic, dill, mixed pickling spices and peppercorns into a 1-quart container. Pack in the cucumber spears; the fit should be tight.
Combine the white vinegar and salt in a small microwave container and heat for 1 minute, or until the salt dissolves. Pour over the cucumbers. Add water to cover.
Seal the top.
Let stand for 24 hours.
Refrigerate for at least 3 days and up to 2 to 3 months.
The pickles will continue to develop flavor and change color and texture.
About this recipe
A few years ago, I was looking for some new chutney recipes and picked up Andrea Chesman’s excellent cookbook, The Pickled Pantry.
As I was flipping through the chapters, I meandered through the pickle section for old time’s sake and spied a recipe for refrigerator pickles that piqued my interest. For the recipe, the cucumbers were squeezed into a jar with brine and spices and only sat in the fridge for three days; no fermenting and no canning. With such little commitment, it couldn’t hurt to give it a try.
They were delicious. Her recipe gives the mystery-solving ratio of salt, water and vinegar that results in crisp, refreshing pickles every time.
Recipe from “The Pickled Pantry” by Andrea Chesman, ©Andrea Chesman 2012. Used by permission of the author. All rights reserved.
Edible Capital District.
