Bread and Butter Refrigerator Pickles
Refrigerator pickles do not require any long cooking or expensive equipment. They will be ready to eat as soon as you like, I prefer them having sat in the fridge for about a day or two. Honestly, once you taste these pickles and see just how easy they are to make, you may never want to buy pickles from the store again
Servings Prep Time
20-30 5Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8Minutes 4-48Hours
Servings Prep Time
20-30 5Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
8Minutes 4-48Hours
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. You will need 4-6 quart jars. You might not end up using all of them depending on how much the vegetables shrink down from the salt. Other tools needed will be: 4 or 6 quart pot, bowl for the veggies to sit in while chilling in the fridge, cling wrap or saran wrap, ladle to pour contents into jars, Mandolin for slicing veggies if you want to get fancy- I just used a kitchen knife
  2. Wash your quart jars in hot soapy water, lids as well. Rinse and set aside to dry as they will not be used for about 4 and a half hours later.
  3. All veggies washed, slice your cucumbers at the thickness you prefer. If you don’t have a mandolin to get perfect slices its not a big deal, using a kitchen knife works just as well. Slice all your cucumbers and add them to your resting bowl. Slice your onions and peppers as well, of course adding as much or little as you like, If you don’t like onions or peppers in your pickles you don’t have to add them. It will not take away from the taste.
  4. Once all your vegetables are sliced and in your resting bowl, pour kosher salt all over them, making sure that they all get covered. Toss well in the salt and cover the veggie mix with saran wrap directly on top making a light cover. Refrigerate for three to four hours, checking every half hour or so to turn the veggie mixture in the salt. Do not be alarmed at the amount of water accumulating at the bottom of the bowl. The salt is drawing it moisture out and that means the process is working.
  5. After 3-4 hours of refrigeration, run the veggie mix under a cold water tap for several minutes to make sure that the salt is rinsed off. Please take some time to rinse them all well, getting all the salt out. Let this sit for a moment while you prepare the brine.
  6. In the pot, add your 4 cups of white sugar, yellow mustard seed, peppercorns, celery seed, ground turmeric, ground clove and 6-8 cups of white distilled vinegar. Turn heat to medium high and add your garlic cloves. Stir to dissolve the ground spices and sugar in the mixture. Add the water to the mix to make up for any loss due to evaporation.
  7. Two minutes after the brine starts to bubble, add your veggie mixture to the pot and the simmering will slow to a stop. Stir the mixture well through the brine and let it return to a simmer. As soon as it begins to bubble at the edges of the brine, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the heat source. Let it sit until it becomes room temperature.
  8. When the mixture is at room temperature, you can ladle all the contents into the individual quart jars. Take the brine right up to where it curves on the jar and close the lids tight. Refrigerate for 4 hours or eat right away if you like. I prefer the taste of the pickles after a couple of days sitting in a cold refrigerator.
Recipe Notes

Remember- these pickles are meant to stay in the fridge. These have not been prepared to sit on a shelf in your pantry. They should last in the refrigerator at least 2 weeks to a month but once your family tastes them they wont last long at all!