I'm happy to let you know that these pickles got the seal of approval from everyone in my house. Even Lily, who seems to be in a picky-eater stage of her life at the moment, ate a bunch of them. They are sweet at first, but then show some spice, which is exactly what you want if you're going to make your own. If you wanted just a straight up, predictable flavor then you might as well just buy them, right? But the funny thing is that you might as well make them because they are so easy. You literally just let the ingredients sit there. Then you stir them and move them to jars, and let them sit again. In the words of Ina Garten, "How easy is that?"
This weekend, I'm going to take some of these pickles and fry them. Yesss. I'll let you know on Monday how they turn out. But, really, I'm pretty confident. You can fry almost anything and it will be good. There is a restaurant in NYC that will fry literally any food that you bring in (except for Skittles and M&Ms because they melt into the oil), and while I haven't been to the shop, it sounds pretty much like heaven on Earth. A summer carnival in the middle of New York City.
Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles
12 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers, sliced 1/2 white onion, chopped 2 cups water 1 3/4 cups white vinegar ~ 10 springs fresh dill 1/4 cup white sugar 8 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons sea or Kosher salt (NOT table salt!) 1 tablespoon pickling spice 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds 1/2 tablespoon whole peppercorns 1 1/2 teaspoons dill seed 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion, water, vinegar, dill, sugar, garlic, and spices. Stir and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until the sugar and salt dissolve. Stir again.
Ladle the cucumber slices out into glass jars. You can really use any size, just divide everything evenly. Ladle in the liquid from the bowl to cover, and seal with the lids. Refrigerate for 10 days before eating. Use within 1 month.
Source: Adapted from All Recipes
