In the Kitchen - Simple Refrigerater Dill Pickle Recipe

Last year I wasted a lot of cucumbers trying to come up with a dill pickle recipe that we liked. I tried several online recipes and none of them suited our taste. By far the WORST batch resulted from my using McCormick's pickling spice mix, which was a complete lapse in judgment on my part. (I get the dry heaves just thinking about that one.) In the end, I realised that when it comes to pickling, less is definitely more. It also helps to use the right kind of cucumber. This year I'm growing an pickling cucumber variety called 'Diamant' and I couldn't be happier with it.

The brine recipe that I've come up with is pretty straight forward and only requires a handful of ingredients. For those of you who might be interested, here it is:

Refrigerator Dill Pickle Brine Recipe

2 cups cold filtered water
1 cup of distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

a handful of dill sprigs (I like to use the flowers and stems as well)
2 - 3 cloves garlic cut in half
1/2 teaspoon of dried yellow mustard seeds

I'll adjust the measurements slightly depending upon my mood. Sometimes I'll up the vinegar by 1/4 cup if I want a more sour pickle or use an additional teaspoon of kosher salt if I want a saltier one. For some added heat, dried red pepper flakes would work.

This brine recipe is easily doubled or halved. I usually adjust the amount of spices based on the size of the jar I'm using and my best guess as to how much liquid I'll need. Always, I try to pack the jar as tightly as I can and pour in enough brine to reach the rim.

Earlier this week, I pickled some sliced Hungarian Wax peppers with my cukes and boy was the end result deliciously hot! Last night I made a mild batch with some sliced carrots - delicious as well. Lastly, these crispy pickles are usually ready after 24 - 36 hours in the fridge but are best after 2 - 3 days.