Pickle, pickle, who has the pickle?

Our community garden plot this year has been a totally different experience than last year. Everything took off last year, we got a veggies from everything we planted, and it felt easy. It was so fun! This year? 

Not so much

May was hot and many of the seeds we planted never came up at all. Then we traveled a lot of July, so by the time we got back I had a ton of weeds. Thankfully fellow gardeners helped us with the watering, but the weeding was all me. Fortunately, we are getting these lovelies!

When I was little we used to spend a lot of time by my Aunt Carol's house. She's my mom's sister and I always loved going to their place for two reasons. One, the ENORMOUS garden they had, complete with a whole field of pickles, apple trees and corn to run through. Two, she's a really great cook and just about everything she makes, to this day, is home made, often coming from the garden. We used to go in the summer to help with canning, and I always loved her pickles. So this year, when we actually got cukes for pickling, I was pretty durn excited. 

I tried out three different recipes since I've got enough cucumber to play with. My parents used to make bread and butter pickles that I LOVED, so I had to try those. Classic dill is always a favorite, and my hubby likes a little heat, so I played around with spicy garlic spears. I'm kind of thinking those are my new favorite, but we'll see ;) I'm more of a refrigerator pickle gal than a canner at the moment, so these are three easy recipes that are ready to eat within 4-6 hours. Measurements are approximate, and feel free to adjust to your taste. If make you these recipes, let me know which you liked the best! 

Classic Dill Refrigerator Pickles:

• 4 kirby cucumbers (small, about 4-5 inches long)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
• Fresh dill to taste
• 1/4-1/2 cup sliced white onion
• 1/2 tablespoon pickling spices

Method:

1. Slice your cukes in round or spears as you like. Slice your onions in thin rounds, then in half
2. Stuff your jar with pickles, onions and dill
3. In a bowl or glass measuring cup combine vinegar, salt and pickling spices. Stir then pour over cuke/onion/dill.
4. Top off with a bit of water. Some people like to leave the water out because the salt will help draw water out of the cucumbers. I like to top it off. Personal taste I suppose
5. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours for full flavor.

Spicy Garlic Spears:

• 4 kirby cucumbers (small, about 4-5 inches long)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
• 4-5 cloves chopped fresh garlic or heaping tablespoon lazy garlic (pre-chopped)
• 1/2 tablespoon or so red chile flakes (adjust heat to taste, you can always add more later)
• 1/2-1 tablespoon pickling spices

Method:

1. Slice your cukes in spears in add them to your jar
2. In a bowl or glass measuring cup combine vinegar, salt, chile flakes & pickling spices. Stir then pour over spears.
3. Top off with a bit of water. Some people like to leave the water out because the salt will help draw water out of the cucumbers. I like to top it off. Personal taste I suppose
4. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours for full flavor.

Bread & Butter Pickles:

• 4 kirby cucumbers (small, about 4-5 inches long)
• 1/4-1/2 cup sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon pickling spices

Method:

1. Slice your cukes in rounds and your onion in thin half rounds, then add them to your jar
2. In a pot  combine vinegar, salt, sugar & pickling spices. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over cukes/onions.
3. Top off with a bit of water. Some people like to leave the water out because the salt will help draw water out of the cucumbers. I like to top it off. Personal taste I suppose
4. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours for full flavor.

All these recipes will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month in an airtight container. I love using the big jars myself. ​As always, comment below, share a picture or a link to a recipe you like, and happy pickling!