Sweet and Spicy Fridge Pickles
I LOVE pickles. And all pickled vegetables. If there is a pickle plate on any menu, I will be ordering it. My grandpa always told me when I was a kid that we should eat pickles to keep the mosquitos off. I found this to be a wonderful excuse to enjoy pickles even more. And you know what? Mosquitos still don’t really bite me much to this day. Is it the pickles? Who knows! But I am going to keep enjoying them. So here is my version of quick refrigerator pickles inspired by the bowls my grandma would make and keep in the fridge. And the amazing sweet-but-not-too-sweet pickles my dad made last summer with his gardens bounty.
We moved into our new house here in Portland this spring which came with some small garden beds. I was beyond excited to grow a REAL garden this year, not the measly patio gardens that I always had in past apartments. And I was especially excited to grow cucumbers to make lots and lots of pickles. Well, my cucumber plants only ever grew about an inch high and inevitably did not produce any cucumbers (I am blaming the severe heat wave we had this year not my poor gardening skills haha!). Luckily we got many Persian cucumbers in our CSA subscription, which turned out pretty dang good as crunchy, tangy, and a little sweet and spicy pickles. So use any cucumber you have, and enjoy these super easy fridge pickles!
Kitchen Tip!
This recipe is extremely forgiving and flexible. If you like them a little more on the sweet side, increase the sugar. Missing one type of vinegar? Feel free to use all of one or the other. No fresh dill? Use dried. Do you avoid spice at all costs? Use any sweet peppers (I’ve used red pimento peppers which looked beautiful in the jars)! Any type of onion, red or white will also be delicious. Other vegetables that work great to pickle in a cold brine like this are beets, carrots, cauliflower, celery, radishes, turnips, wax beans, and summer squash.
Nutrition Tip!
Store bought pickles are delicious, but often contain quite a bit of salt. So if you have a goal to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, or have a diagnosis that may require a low sodium diet, homemade pickles are for you! When we prep any food at home this allows us to control the ingredients that go into it, which may help us to stick to certain health goals. While making the homemade version of foods that you love may not always be an option, these pickles are so quick and so easy why wouldn’t you make them homemade? They get A LOT of flavor from the spices, dill, onion, peppers, and vinegar that you won’t even notice they are a low sodium food comparatively. So add some tang to your snacks, sandwiches, and barbecues and make these sweet and spicy fridge pickles ASAP!
Sweet and Spicy Fridge Pickles
Ingredients
- 3 cucumbers (pickling, Persian, or other small varieties)
- 1/2 red or sweet onion
- 1 jalapeno
- 1/2 tsp mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4-1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch coins.
- Thinly slice onion and jalapeño (with seeds). Add all to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Add sliced vegetables to a 32oz mason jar.
- To a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, add 1/2 tsp mustard seed, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp fresh dill, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve.
- Pour over vegetables. Fill the rest of the mason jar with water until all sliced vegetables are covered.
- Place in fridge and let sit for one to five days before eating (you can keep tasting them). Keep for up to a 2 months.
