Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Today is another #HandCraftedEdibles first for me!  I’d never made pickles before this, because even though I absolutely adore pickles (case in point, a typical lunch of mine), I’ve never been huge on homemade pickles.

My younger son, Spud, is also a pickle fanatic.  In fact, for his 4^th birthday, the only thing he specifically asked for (and received) was a jar of pickles and a pickle fork!  He was ecstatic when he opened those gifts!  He even repeated the jar of pickles request this year for his 5^th birthday!

[edited to add:

I forget that most people have never heard of a pickle fork!  It's a long slim fork (sometimes called a condiment fork) that's super useful for getting pickles, pepper and olive out of those skinny jars!  Here's Spud & his pickle fork:

]

Then, in the fall, he realized that pickles actually began as cucumbers (his other favorite) and he began obsessing over making his own pickles. 

We collected our cucumbers, begged some dill off a friend and got to work.  After a very long (for a 5 year old) 3 day wait, our pickles were ready to taste.  Spud was not as enthusiastic as he was before.  Personally, I liked them, but I still really like the ones for the store, too.

But, now I have a great recipe if I ever have an overabundance of cucumbers!

Want more?  Try those yummy pickles with some of my favorites:

 Pickle & Ham Roll-ups | Sloppy Sliders |Sloppy Joe Pie | Cubano | Bacon Wrapped BBQ Dogs | Chicago Dog | Bloody Mary with Slider Garnish

Or check out these delicious recipes:

• Amy's Cooking Adventures jarred her Refrigerator Dill Pickles
• Making Miracles made Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles
• Christmas Tree Lane shared Refrigerator Pickled Brussels Sprouts
• A Day in the Life on the Farm posted Spiced Apples
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla Pickled Radishes

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

8-10 small pickling cucumbers

4 sprigs fresh dill

1 clove garlic, smashed

6-8 black peppercorns

Pinch of crushed red pepper

¾ cup water

1 ½ tbsp white vinegar

2 ¼ tsp salt

Place 2 sprigs of dill, smashed garlic, peppercorns, and crushed red pepper in the bottom of a pint sized mason jar.  Place as many cucumbers as will fit in the jar without forcing.

Whisk together the water, vinegar, and salt until the salt dissolves.  Pour over the cucumbers and top with the last 2 sprigs of dill.  Close the jar and refrigerate for 3 days.  Enjoy within 1 month.

In an effort to make all of my holiday gifts this year, we are sharing recipes for hand-crafted treats. Over the course of twelve weeks, we'll be sharing recipes that you can make at home to give to friends and loved ones. We hope you'll follow along for inspiration. You can find out more information, including the schedule: here.

Next week, check back for our recipes to inspire your holiday cheese trays. Think homemade cheese and charcuterie...or anything that would go well on a cheese platter. Don't forget to check out our #handcraftededibles pinterest board.