Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator pickling is a simple and convenient way to preserve vegetables while infusing them with delicious flavors. Unlike traditional canning methods that require heat processing and sealing jars, refrigerator pickling involves immersing vegetables in a vinegar-based brine solution.

I don’t know how to can anything or pickle anything that involves fermentation but I hate wasting food. I love to have cucumbers on avocado toast or on top of hummus flat bread but I can’t seem to eat all of the mini cucumbers in the package or finish a whole large cucumber before they go bad. In order to preserve them and give myself a little more time to eat them I started doing this pickling technique.

These pickles are so easy to make. You can cut them into any shape you want for snacking, Putting on sandwiches and burgers or dicing them up and adding them to potato salad.

Non-fermented pickles, also known as fresh pickles, offer a variety of health benefits worth considering. These pickles are prepared and stored in a vinegar-based brine instead of undergoing the fermentation process. As a result, they retain high levels of vitamin K, which supports bone health and plays a crucial role in blood clotting. Additionally, non-fermented pickles are low in calories and provide a good source of hydration and fiber. The cucumbers used in fresh pickles are rich in antioxidants, such as beta carotene and vitamin C, which help boost the immune system and promote healthy skin. Consuming non-fermented pickles can also aid in digestion due to the presence of vinegar, which may improve gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• A jar with a lid

• enough cucumbers to fill the jar [I sliced mine but you can cut them into any shape you want]

• 1 Cup of white vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon of sugar

• 1 Tablespoon of dried dill

• 1 teaspoon of onion powder

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

• salt and pepper to taste

• chives, green onion or regular onion as much or as little as you prefer

• water

Cut the cucumbers as you want them and put them in the jar. add the vinegar and add in enough water to make the liquid cover the cucumbers entirely.

Add the remaining ingredients. Screw the lid on and shake well. Open the jar and push everything down so it is all once again covered by liquid. Place the jar in the refrigerator. They are ready to use in two days. You can keep them for about two weeks.

You can do this with lots of other vegetables. You might want to try using different spices. For radishes I used minced garlic and added coriander seeds.