Having never made pickles before, I looked up a lot of recipes. I came to the conclusion that I did not want to can pickles (after an adventure with blackberry syrup...more on that in a future post), and so I finally found a refrigerated pickle recipe that looked relatively simple. And yet, something always goes wrong. In the process of sterilizing the pot I was going to use--a large pottery casserole..It received to hairline cracks that now cause a leak. I was patient to...I didn't just dump boiling water in the pot, I allowed it to slowly come to boiling...but apparently the stress of the heat was to much for my poor pottery. So...I switched to a large pot...It was sterilized, the ingredients were added, but...IT WOULDN'T SEAL! So on to plan C then. I put the veggies in mason jars with the pickling liquid and stuck it in the fridge. They probably won't last the full three months, but I am sure they will taste just as good. If you would like to try my version of pickles...see below (P.S. this is adapted from a recipe to begin with-will I every give up experimenting?). Otherwise, enjoy pickles from someone else's hard labors or the grocery.
Pickles
4 c. water
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/8 c. pickling salt
3 tbsp dill
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 lbs mixed chopped vegetables or fruit such as zucchini, carrots, cucumber, radishes, turnips, onions, etc.
Mix the water, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until salt dissolves. Add the garlic and dill. Divide the veggies equally among mason jars. Pour the pickling liquid over the veggies until covered. Put on the lid and refrigerate 48 hours before eating to allow the full flavor to develop. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months. Discard if liquid becomes sour smelling or fermented or cloudy.
Enjoy!
