refrigerator garlic dill pickles

a few years ago, i made a mistake with zucchini. it was the first summer in our house and i was excited to have my own space to grow whatever i wanted. a quarter of the space was dedicated to six zucchini plants. yes, six. i spent the second half of the summer trying to give away zucchini faster than they were growing. i vowed never to plant so many again. that same year, my cucumbers did absolutely nothing.

in years since, i've significantly reduced my zucchini plants to a mere two and dedicated the rest of the zucchini plot to cucumbers. and i got smart and decided to grow them up a metal fence. so far this summer i've had only one sad and lonely zucchini and can't keep up with the cucumbers! so if your garden is being taken over by them - or you see a bunch at the market for $1 - these pickles are exactly what they claim to be: perfectly spicy, perfectly garlicy, and crunchy. finally, a homemade garlic dill that isn't floppy and lifeless! ...and tastes remarkably similar to garlic dills in the refrigerated section at your grocery store.

wanna impress your friends? whip up a batch the weekend - or a couple days - before your labor day barbecue. perfect with a grilled burger and other end of the summer picnic fare.

garlic dills not your thing? try these quick refrigerator bread & butter pickles

refrigerator garlic dill pickles
adapted from foodie with family
30 min active, makes 2 quarts

8 to 10 small to medium pickling cucumbers
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 1/2 teaspoons pickling spice
4 cups cold water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed

1. wash cucumbers and trim the blossom end. cut into halves, spears, or whatever size you want your pickles.
2. divide the cucumbers evenly between two quart mason jars. sprinkle the dill seed and pickling spice over the cucumbers.
3. in a separate bowl, stir the water, vinegar, and salt together until the salt dissolves. divide the mixture evenly among the two jars. add two garlic cloves to each jar.
4. make sure the cucumbers are completely submerged in the brine. if not, place a cup, a piece of aluminum foil, or some other object over the top to make sure the cukes are submerged. cover with cheesecloth and leave out on your counter two to four days. start tasting the pickles after 48 hours. they'll get a bit spicier and stronger in flavor the longer they sit. (i stopped one jar at 2 days and one at 4 days.) when they're ready, cap the jars and place in the refrigerator, making sure cukes are still covered with the brine.