Just today I organized my fridge and realized I might be addicted to pickles. I have SIX jars of pickles to be exact and on top of those I have three jars of my spicy pickled green tomatoes (which we will also get to in this post, so don’t you worry)! I am hoping that if you are reading this post that you also have a pickle problem and we can just share our love of pickles and the fact that they take up almost an entire shelf of valuable real estate in the fridge! I am acting surprised here, when in fact I have always been a pickle person ever since I was a little girl! I can remember loving anything pickled, including pepperoncini peppers that I could eat straight from the jar as a five year old! (Weird or amazing?) Either way, my easy refrigerator pickling recipe makes it easy for you to get your pickle fix anytime you want!

Summertime is the perfect time for pickling everything because so many fresh veggies are available including pickling cucumbers, which happen to be my favorite snacking cucumber whether they are pickled or not!

FACT!

Anyhoo, I came home with a big bag full of them last week and found myself wanting to make some homemade pickles! I posted them on my Instagram stories and there was an overwhelming amount of peeps all who wanted the recipe! So I decided to just go ahead and put them here on the site, so you could find the recipe whenever you wanted to, because if they wanted the recipe, I thought you all might want the recipe!

it really is super easy to pickle your own veggies without even having to do the whole boiling on top of the stove business! You basically need a combo of vinegar, water, salt, and sugar and then from there you can get creative with what you are pickling and how you want to season them! Feel free to use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand like thyme, rosemary, dill, or oregano, (I think woody herbs work best for pickling!) You can also add peppercorns, garlic cloves, spicy peppers, and so much more to make custom pickled goods based on what you have in your fridge and garden!

I also made some spicy pickled green tomatoes that I am sharing here with you today because they are so so yummy to top salads, sandwiches, and so much more this summer! It’s just one example of how you can pickle so much more than just cucumbers! Try green beans, okra, onions, cauliflower, beets, radishes, and any other vegetable you want to experiment with!

They make the best homemade gifts too! So great for when you are headed to a summer dinner party and want to take the host a little something!

Ingredients:

For Pickles or any Pickled Vegetable:

• 1 Cup Water

• 1 Cup Vinegar of Choice (I like using white vinegar or apple cider)

• 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt

• 1 Tsp. Sugar

• 1 Tbsp. Peppercorns (optional)

• 4 Tbsp. Fresh Dill or other herbs (or as much as you want)

• 4 Cups of Pickling Cucumbers or Vegetables, sliced to preference

Note: You can also add in garlic cloves, jalapeños, mustard seeds, other herbs etc.

For Spicy Pickled Green Tomatoes-

• 1 Cup Water

• 1 Cup Vinegar or Choice

• 1 Jalapeño, sliced thin

• 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt

• 1 Tsp. Sugar

• 2-3 Large Green Tomatoes, Sliced to Preference

Note: Can add herbs, garlic cloves, peppercorns, etc.

Directions:

• Combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a microwave safe measuring cup and stir to combine.

• Heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until salt and sugar have dissolved.

• Add cucumber or green tomatoes to a wide mouth mason jar and then add herbs, jalapenos, or any other seasoning at this point and then pour vinegar mixture over top of the vegetables until just covering.

• Place a tight lid on the jars and place into the fridge. Shake well.

• Let sit in the fridge for 24 hours, shaking occasionally before eating. They will last up to 1 month.

Note: You can use this basic recipe to pickle any vegetables, so feel free to get creative with it!

Doesn’t get much easier than this right? Now you have no excuse but to fill a shelf in your fridge with pickles too!