growing up, garden dill pickles were a summer tradition. my grandmother’s pool house refrigerator was constantly stocked with a seemingly never-ending supply. thankfully, she left us the recipe to carry on the tradition. this same recipe can be used for canning pickles, or making other pickled vegetables, including banana peppers, zucchini and okra.
pickles soften as their pectin breaks down, which is not ideal for your final product.pickle crisp is a really important part of this recipe – it keeps the pickles crunchy + crispy. alum, also know as aluminum potassium sulfate, was originally used in this recipe. however, too much alum has been found to cause gastrointestinal upset and there are some possible safety concerns around the frequent ingestion of aluminum, although it is likely safe in small doses.
refrigerator garden dill pickles
Equipment
- large pot
- 8 x 32oz mason jars, 16 x 16oz mason jars, or a combination
- measuring cups/spoons
- knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 12-16 pickling cucumbers, sliced lengthwise
- 1 quart apple cider vinegar
- 2 quarts water
- 2/3 cup salt
- 1 tbsp dried red pepper flakes can also use fresh hot peppers
- 2 tsp pickle crisp
- 8-16 cloves garlic, peeled
- 8 tsp dill weed, dried can also use fresh
Instructions
- Bring water, apple cider vinegar and salt to a boil over medium-high heat in a large pot, stirring occasionally.1 quart apple cider vinegar, 2/3 cup salt, 2 quarts water
- While the vinegar mixture is coming to a boil, fill the jars with cucumbers, 1-2 cloves of garlic, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp dried dill weed and 1/4 tsp alum.12-16 pickling cucumbers, sliced lengthwise, 1 tbsp dried red pepper flakes, 2 tsp pickle crisp, 8-16 cloves garlic, peeled, 8 tsp dill weed, dried
- Pour the apple cider mixture over the cucumber in the jars to the rim of each jar.
- Add lids to jars, give a shake and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before enjoying!
Notes
- These can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of months.
- This recipe also works well with okra, banana peppers, or zucchini