Making homemade pickles

By Cat Wilson
Guest Columnist

Last Fall I was at a local fundraising dinner event and saw a huge platter of what had to be homemade pickles surrounded by fresh dill sprigs and onions. Since I was helping in the kitchen and couldn’t get to it directly, I was just hoping there would be some left when I was able to get out there. Luckily, I had to replenish an item and grabbed a couple off the platter.

Oh, my, the freshness and crunch of these delicious nuggets. I pray that people never stop having gardens and making fresh food for their friends and families because you cannot buy these in a store.

They were made by my friend, Anita, who doesn’t need to measure the recipe anymore, but put one together for us. She and her husband, John, have a large garden each year, so the cucumbers and dill came fresh from the yard.

Anita’s Refrigerator Pickles

• 15 small cucumbers (known as Kirby, pickling, or mini cukes) quartered or chunks
• 20 dill sprigs
• 2 onions, any type, cut in rounds or diced
• 4 garlic cloves (or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder for each clove)
• 1 quart white vinegar
• ½ cup canning salt

Layer in a large bowl — cover with water — cover bowl and place in fridge for 24 hours.

Or if you like pickles with a bit more seasoning, I found this recipe which makes only 2 quarts

Quick & Easy

Refrigerator Pickles

By Jennifer Segal

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups cold water
• 1¾ to 2 pounds Kirby cucumbers (about 6), cut into halves or spears
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 16 dill sprigs

Instructions:

1. Combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in pan over high heat. Whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Transfer the liquid into a bowl and whisk in the cold water and chill in fridge.

2. Stuff the cucumbers into two clean 1-quart jars. Add the coriander seeds, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, dill sprigs, and chilled brine into jars, dividing evenly. If necessary, add a bit of cold water until the brine covers the cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate about 24 hours, then serve. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Cat Wilson lives in South Bend and transitioned from a vegetarian diet to eating a plant-based diet over two years ago. She may be contacted at [email protected].