Sunday, September 16, 2012

Rosie Makes Refrigerator Pickles.

When Rosie sent out SOS's for pickle recipes,
my friends Zzzadig
and Marilyn of FoodiesUntie blogdom
were among the first to respond.
Well, they were the only two to respond,
but never you mind.
These two pickle recipes are wonderful.


Zzadig's pickles should be allowed to sit for a while,
(I think that's what he said.)
but we had one jar that didn't seal
and I couldn't resist.
After chilling in the fridge,
I had a pickle
and it was terrific.
 Actually, I wasn't chilling in the fridge.
The pickles were -
in case you were the least bit confused.


 I won't be buying pickles again.
Both Zzadig's and Marilyn's pickles
are so superior to what you can buy in the store.
Plus, they're easy and quick to make.

I think a lot of people are intimidated by pickling.
Same with making bread or a souffle.
People have an inherent aversion to attempting certain things
because they think they're too hard or too exacting.
Don't think this way.
Embrace the experience.

Please do not let pickling overwhelm you.
Most importantly, start out with a small amount.
No more than 3-4 quarts at a time.
Then, all you need are sterilized jars, bands, and lids.
I wash the jars in the dishwasher first,
then boil them about 10 minutes,
along with the bands and lids.

After you stuff the sterilized jars with your vegetable mixture -
cucumbers, onions, garlic, cauliflower, peppers, carrots, etc.
 and whatever seasonings - seeds, spices, and fresh herbs -,
you pour the boiling brine mixture to within 1/4 inch of the top.
Have a clean towel ready
to wipe any spills off the tops of the jars.
Put the lid on, screw on the band,
and invert jar for about a minute.
Turn right-side up and wait for that sweet sucking popping sound
of a properly sealed canning jar.
If any jars don't seal,
place in refrigerator and they'll be fine.

Here's the first batch of pickles I made from Zzadig's recipe.
Sorta kinda.
I'm sure I strayed from the original recipe.
I can't help myself.
But this just supports the point I was trying to make above.
Do not be intimidated.
The recipe is not etched in stone.
Add the flavors you want in.
Personally,
I cut back on the salt and gave it a higher vinegar:water ratio.
And here's the second batch of pickles.
Sorta kinda.
Like I said.
I embellish.


The beauty of Marilyn's recipe
is that no canning is involved.

Marilyn's recipe for Three Hour Refrigerator Pickles:
6 pounds cucumbers
4 medium onions
4 cups sugar
4 cups vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Slice cucumbers 1/4 inch thick.
 Slice onions 1/8 inch thick.
 Place both in large non-metallic bowl.
Combine remaining ingredients
and pour over cucumbers and onions.
Stir well for 5 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving.


Freshly picked cucumbers.


Cukes and onions were chopped.


Combine vinegar and sugar.


I'm using celery seed, not salt.

Add in mustard seed.

Add in celery seed.

And the turmeric.

Whisk away.
For five minutes.

Pour mixture over cukes and onions.

Cover and refrigerate for three hours before serving.

Thanks, Mar, for another great recipe.

5 comments:

  1. You're welcome, Rosie. And now I'm going to have to make those again. Hmm, we have another tailgate coming up in a couple of weeks...

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  2. Wow. Whisk away for 5 minutes... Why? All you have to do is boil the brine for 4 min to wake the spices up... And 3 hours really isn't long at all to really taste the pickle. Maybe if you kryo-vac the cukes in the brine using a vacuum sealer....

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  3. I thought I emailed you some pickle recipes, but they must have gone to the great black hole.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sorry tortietat. I never got them.
    :(

    Anony, I just followed the directions. This brine didn't need to be boiled.

    ReplyDelete