My Edible Yard: Slightly Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles

I've already gotten a few requests for the recipe I use for pickles. These are a great refrigerator pickle. They last forever in the fridge and are not too tangy. I especially like the fact that the recipe is for 2 quarts, so can easily be multiplied to make larger batches. Try other veggies with it--carrots, green beans, cauliflower, asparagus. Yummy!

Slightly-Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles (Bon Appetit, June 2008)

Yield:  Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced into half moons

2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, scrubbed and sliced into quarter-inch rounds

1 large bunch fresh dill, coarsely chopped, including stems

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns (I always use black peppercorns)

1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar (I always use rice vinegar or a combination of rice and apple cider vinegar)

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons coarse Kosher salt

2 teaspoons dill seeds (I never seem to have dill seeds in the pantry, so usually use celery seeds)

Directions:

Divide sliced onion between two 1-quart wide-mouth canning jars. Pack cucumbers slices tightly in jars (the recipe says horizontally, but I just pack them any way I can). Top each jar with dill (it will stick out above the top of the jar). 

Crush the peppercorns and mustard seeds with a mortar and pestle or put them in a plastic bag and whack them with a mallet or hammer. In a saucepan, add the crushed spices, vinegar, water, sugar, salt and dill seeds and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Ladle the mixture evenly between the 2 jars. Leave the jars uncovered and place in the refrigerator overnight. You'll see the contents of the jar shrink so that you can fit the lids on tightly in the morning. Make 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.