Cucumber season is coming to an end but I’m still getting one every few days.  I used my last batch a few weeks ago to make  jars of refrigerator pickles.  Refrigerator pickles are regular pickles, only they aren’t processed in a water bath.  The difference is that the shelf life is 3 months instead of 12 months.

I really wanted to create pickles like my favorite brand – Woodstock.  They are garlicky and zippy.  My recipe isn’t exactly like Woodstock farms, but they had a nice bite to them!

Refrigerator pickles
3 pint mason jars
6 minced garlic cloves
5-7 pickling cucumbers
2 1/2  tablespoons of pickling salt*
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp peppercorns
6 dill heads
3 tsp dill seed
3 1/2 cups of filtered or bottled water

**I couldn’t find “pickling salt” so I found really fine sea salt without anti-caking ingredients.

Divide the minced garlic, sliced cucumbers, dill seed, and peppercorns up evenly and place in each clean mason jar.
Boil the water, salt, and vinegar until all of the salt is dissolved.
Pour boiling brine over the cucumbers in the jars.
Add the dill heads.
Place lids on the jars.

Let the pickles cool on your counter for an hour, then refrigerate.  After about 3 or 4 days, the pickles will be cured and ready to eat.

They are my new favorite pickle brand!

Note: If you want to make these last, process them in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.   Test the seals after a few hours.  If they are sealed tight, you can store the pickles for up to a year.