Carla's Pickling Recipe: Refrigerator Pickles for First Timers

It's pickling week!  As a first time pickler (in fact, this is my first time using a mason jar to make something myself!), I was pretty nervous.  Folks have assured me for years that it's an easy process, but it seems so involved.  Special brine!  Jar purchases!  Popping!

I may not be a pickler, but I sure do LOVE pickles.  Over the past couple of years, I've seen an increase in pickle prices.  (I can't believe I just said that.)  Since they're only a few bucks a jar it doesn't seem like a huge dent- STILL, I bought all my ingredients at notoriously high-priced Whole Foods this week and the total was $2.73.  For two pint jars of pickles and three cucumbers left over for my next recipe.  SCORE.

Super Fast, Super Easy Refrigerator Pickles

- White Vinegar

- Onions (I used about half of a sweet onion, but would happily have added more.)

- Dill Weed (some recipes call for Dill Seed, but I thought using this type of dill would provide plenty of flavor)

- Garlic (for the love of Pete, use real garlic gloves. I mistakenly thought I had some at home and had to resort to this crushed garlic.  And then it smelled off when I opened it and I had to FURTHER resort to garlic powder.  Just... buy garlic.)

- Picking Cucumbers (I used about 5 for this recipe)

1. Cut up your cucumbers into spears:

2. Slice your onion into strips.  Line the bottom of a mason jar with a layer of onions.  Add one teaspoon of dill weed.  Add one garlic clove (or, in my case, one teaspoon of garlic powder).

3. Slide your cucumber spears in the jar until they're cozy.

4. Add 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar and 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt to a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring just a bit to ensure the salt is dissolved.  Once boiling, pour the mixture into the jars, leaving about 1/4 inch spare room at the top to avoid spillover when closing.  Place your lid/bands on the jar and close tightly.  

(As Alyssa advised me when we chatted about pickles, you don't even have to use mason jars for this recipe!  Any jar will do- I save old pickle jars and could just have easily used those for this project.)

No one told me to shake them up, but I did it anyway.  (And then I felt a TREMENDOUS sense of pride at having PICKLED something.  Like the olden days.)

5. Throw them in the refrigerator and wait two days before you crack them open to eat them up.  (These babies will technically last for two weeks in the fridge, but I dare you to let them stick around that long.)

The Verdict:

These pickles were, hands down, the best pickles I've ever had.  They're crisp!  And light!  They retain their cucumber freshness along with the yummy vinegar/pickled flavor.

I shared a jar with my man friend before I tasted them and he declared them to be the best pickles he's ever had as well.  

Final tips:

- Sharing is good, but you'll still be sad you decreased your pickle supply by 50%.

- My work friend Jessbee tells me that you should try apple cider vinegar for an extra special/different pickle-y flavor.

- Make more than two pint jars.

Alyssa's Mexican-Style Pickled Onions

One of my favorite ways to spend a day is preserving.  It starts with a trip to the market to buy boatloads of produce and ends with satisfying “pops” coming from rows of shiny, warm Ball jars.  Actually, it ends months later when you can pull a jar out of the cupboard and spread your own jam on a piece of toast or put your own pickles on a sandwich. 

Unfortunately, produce is really expensive in Japan!  A lot of it is imported, which is not wallet-friendly.  My days of buying crates of strawberries and cucumbers from the farmer’s market are on hold for now, but I can still justify making small batches of quick pickles.  They're cheaper and don’t require nearly the same time commitment (as you could probably tell from “quick” in the name).  No water baths, steamy kitchens and frizzy hair. You don’t need to heat the brine in many recipes, and you don’t even need to store the pickles in canning jars.  You can use Ziploc bags, Tupperware containers, bowls tightly wrapped with plastic wrap, etc.

My latest pickle adventure was Mexican-style pickled onions.  They add such balance to tacos when used to cut the richness of braised meats and creamy cheeses. They also add a gorgeous pop of pink to your dish (but I understand if you are not as delighted by this as I am).  I combed through a dozen or so recipes online, took the elements that I liked from each, and came up with this recipe.  The final product is citrusy, garlicky, acidic, salty and bracing.  

Plan on using them within a few days of making the pickles.  They start to lose their identity as onions and just taste like vinegar somewhere around day 4.  Which is not terrible for a pickle, but they’re certainly less subtle at that point!  I originally made them to be served with an assemble-your-own-taco bar, and then had leftovers on huevos rancheros the next day.   Yum!  Here are some other delicious ways to use these pickles:

• in summer salads, like bean salad, potato salad, pasta salad.
• on an egg salad sandwich
• on green salads
• on a steak
• on a pork chop
• on a cheeseburger or hamburger
• in chili
• on arepas 
• on pulled pork sandwiches

Pickled Onion Recipe

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

¼ c lime juice

1/3 c orange juice

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, smashed

½ tablespoon dried oregano

5 peppercorns

1 small bay leaf

Mix all of the ingredients except the onion in a medium bowl and whisk until sugar and salt dissolve. 

Add onions and let sit for at least an hour before serving.

Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.  The onions taste best if eaten within 3 days of making.