Recipe: Refrigerator Cucumber Pickles (sweet pickles with garlic, onion and chiles)

REFRIGERATOR CUCUMBER PICKLES

Small, light green Kirby pickling cucumbers are ideal for this no-fuss pickle recipe.

2 cups (5 percent acidity) distilled white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup canning and pickling salt*
3 teaspoons canning and pickling spices
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 pounds pickling cucumbers, scrubbed and sliced 1/8 inch thick (7 cups)
2 small onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 chile de arbol peppers, rinsed (optional)
4 (one pint) canning jars with two piece lids, sterilized**

Whisk together first 5 ingredients to dissolve the sugar; set aside.

Combine cucumbers, onions and garlic; gently stir in vinegar mixture. Spoon cucumber mixture into 4 jars; add remaining vinegar mixture to jars. Add 1 chile de arbol pepper to each jar, if desired. Cap jars tightly and refrigerate, shaking slightly once a day for one week to mix ingredients.

Serve after two weeks or store, refrigerated at 40 degrees F up to three months.

*Use canning and pickling salt, which is free from additives, when making pickles. Additives that are used to prevent caking in regular table salt may make the brine cloudy. Salts with added iodine may darken pickles.

**Sterilizing jars for canning, freezing or pickling helps to assure food safety and quality. To sterilize unfilled jars, place upright in a large pot or canner and add water to fill jars and pot to one inch above jar tops. Bring to a boil and boil 10 minutes. Keep in hot water until ready to use; carefully remove with tongs. Lids and rings should also be boiled.

Makes 4 pints
Source: The Byerly Bag, August 2003