The Pickle Post!

This is just a quick post - I hope - we'll see how it goes!  Every summer I try to make a few jars of 'Refrigerator Pickles' and on occasion I've given them as gifts because they look so beautiful in the glass jars once they're done.  I originally found the recipe on www.AllRecipes.com and while the basic recipe is incredible I did make some changes.  The great thing about AllRecipes.com is that you can read suggestions, additions etc. from people who have tried the recipe but might have had more success with some minor 'tweaking'.  AllRecipes also has this neat feature allowing you to search for recipes not only by recipe title but also by whatever ingredients you might have available to cook with!  That has been a lifesaver for us on more than one occasion.  Here is the original AllRecipes.com recipe and below is the recipe that I follow.  These really are easy and worth the little bit of effort that goes into making something 'homemade'. 

Homemade Refrigerator Pickles

1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp. salt
1 cup white sugar
6 cups sliced cucumbers - I use the small pickling cukes
1 cup sliced sweet onion (Vidalia or red)
1 cup sliced and chopped green bell pepper
1 Tbsp. mustard seed
1/2 Tbsp. celery seed

In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil.  Boil until sugar is dissolved.  In a separate bowl combine all vegetables and mustard and celery seed.  Pour hot mixture over vegetables.  Stir.  Let sit in vinegar mixture for about 2 hours (stir mixture a few times).  Pickle mixture will reduce.  Place pickles in jars.  If you're not going to consume these immediately or are giving them as a gift you should process the jars in a hot water bath for at least 10 minutes.  You will have quite a bit of excess vinegar mixture leftover.  Not a problem. 

I like to use red onion in mine.  It adds festive color and is especially pretty when giving jars of these pickles for Christmas gifts.  If you want you could always omit the onion entirely and opt for red bell pepper - you'll get the same effect!  Speaking of festive pickles...I found this super fun two minute video on You Tube about the 'Carol of the Christmas Pickle'.  Make sure you wait for the credits at the end!