Cucumber Pickles--Fast

I have never heard of "refrigerator pickles" before but it is cucumbers being pickled in the refrigerator.  It may be because I have had no cucumbers in my garden to neither eat nor pickle until now.  The preparation for pickling is fast and no cooking or canning is required.

This year, the cucumbers are ready for harvesting much faster than I am.  They are hiding near the ground in the foliage and it is such a surprise to find them.  They are big, fat, and prickly.  The color is more yellow than green; however, they are good eating, but how many cucumber sandwiches can you eat?

If you like to make cucumber pickles, shop for them at your local Farmer's Market and ask if the farmer's cukes have been sprayed or dunked in wax to keep longer on the shelf or in the bin as in super markets.

If you have cucumbers in your garden, you my notice that they are not at all glossy and that is what you want.  If you leave the skin on your cukes when pickling, they will soak up the brine so much better.

Because of the less attractive skin, I peeled my cucumbers and I also removed the seeds with a spoon after cutting them in half.  I used a huge fat cucumber which I estimated to come out to be one pound; then I sliced the halves.

Here it goes:  I combined about 6 - 7 tablespoons (tbs) each of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar with 3/4 cup of water (almost 1 cup) and 2/3 cup of somewhat tightly packed (light) brown sugar.  I was surprised how easy the sugar melted.  I used a handful of pickling spice.

I also added sliced onions and diced green pepper.  You decide how much you would like.  After combining the liquids, the sugar, and spices, I poured it over the sliced cucumber, sealed the container, shook it well, and put it in the refrigerator to let it stand for 24 hours before serving.  Keep it refrigerated and don't keep it too long.  Enjoy.

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