Friday, July 3, 2009

Refrigerator Pickles

As a kid I watched my mom rather closely. I learned a lot from her. My favorite sandwich I dare say, came from my mom. Ask me what my favorite sandwich was as a kid, and I would give a boisterous answer, "peanut butter and pickle." I loved the tart dill pickle with a good slathering of creamy peanut butter on a wedge of homemade bread. I've always been a little weird. This just gives you further evidence. I still eat them. Your kids may not like that PB and P sandwich, but a lot of kids adore pickles. They especially adore making pickles.

As another creative kids cooking recipe to round out the week, I thought I would add one that even the adult would probably love. I've had grown women ask me if I can really make pickles at home. I dare say that most kids don't even know that a pickle is in fact a cucumber. My kids know because they have been making pickles with me for a long time. Turn around right now and ask your little kiddos.
" Hey how do we get pickles? Should we make some together? "

I make all kinds, but the ones I come back to most are the good old fashioned

Crispy Dill Pickles
You will need:

1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid

2 medium cucumbers
1 cup water
1/2 cup distilled or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp dill seed
1 tsp dill or sprig of fresh dill.

Put the garlic, dill seed and dill sprig in the bottom of the quart jar.


In a separate bowl, combine the salt, vinegar and water. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Pour into the jar.


Add the sliced or wedged cucumber to the jar.
Fill in the jar until the vinegar mixture covers the cucumbers. Put the lid on tightly and refrigerate 5-7 days. After 5 days you will have perfect pickles. Pickles will remain good 2-3 weeks. Not that pickles stay around that long at my house. Make a few jars. Heck, have everyone make their own jar! How fun would that be?
There you go. Make some memories. Make some pickles.

2 comments:

Jana said...

Penut butter and pickle is the Bomb! I still have it from time to time. Do you still make it?

Chef Tess said...

Yes I do! Sick and wrong as that may be...I still love them.