Crunchy Refrigerator Dill Pickle Spears Recipe

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I never made pickles before so why now in the midst of all the summer madness?  The excess cucumber harvest forces me to explore new territory.  After all the hard work you put into your garden, you really hate to waste such a wonderful harvest blessing and must do SOMETHING with all this abundance.  For several weeks we were having cucumbers in our green salad, making cucumber dishes like cucumber noodles and cucumber salad made entirely of cucumbers. My dear sweet hubby started giving me pickle suggestions. Okay so pickles......not coming from a family who put up the harvest I had to re-invent the wheel with this.  I started to explore the backs of the pickle jar to see what was in pickles to make my own.

Just wait until you boil up the pickling brine.  The aroma is absolutely heavenly and not at all over powering.  The brine smells just like you would expect pickles to smell like.  I am not overpowering this recipe with too many pickling spices. I want to just keeping it simple.  Lots of recipes on the web add mustard seed and a pinch of fire like cayenne pepper.  The taste I am going for is more of a simple refrigerator pickle.  The kind you find in the refrigerator section of your supermarket.  The kind your KIDS will eat.

6 cups of Water
1/4 cup Salt (Kosher)
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
2 pounds Cucumbers (about 5 small)
8 large Garlic Cloves, whacked open with a knife
      (minced could also be used)
4 teaspoons of dried Dill Weed
8 whole Black Peppercorns

• Clean the glass jar and lid thoroughly in your dishwasher on Sanitary Cycle or wash with hot soapy water, dry and boil in a large pot on stove top.
• Combine the water, salt and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Remove from heat and add Garlic, Dill and Peppercorns.  
• Allow brine to cool to room temperature. 
• Wash the cucumbers well with vegetable brush.  Slice into halfs, then quarters and slice in half lengthwise.  
• Pack the cucumbers and the remaining ingredients in a 2-quart (half gallon) glass jar and pour brine over them, making sure to cover the cucumbers completely with liquid. 
• Store, covered in the the refrigerator. 
• The pickles will be ready in at least 7 days, but its best you wait longer.
• Pickles keep in the refrigerated for several months.

Check out these other great recipes on the Web:

McCormick Refrigerator Dill Pickle Slices