I wanted to try making Refrigerator Pickles last season but I never did get around to doing it. This year again I have a lot of cucumbers planted and always have extra cukes so pickles would be great to have.

I was looking at the Mrs Waggies mixes. I figgure that would be the easiest for a novice at pickle making like me. So who makes Refrigerator Pickles? and what do you think of the results?

I've made them before with a recipe I found online. I added other veggies, too: onion, zucchini, carrots etc and it made a wonderful cold salad. When sealed right, it lasts for a long time. Usually the batches are very large. I cut the recipes in half and it's still large!

This is not exactly what you asked for, but we really like them. From Country Woman Magazine - maybe 25 years ago. I peel a few "stripes" off the cucumbers to make them look pretty. I do put these in small ziplock bags to freeze, but I always put those bags into a big, gallon ziplock. These do not fully freeze solid, and if they are not double bagged, it seems they like to leak out and make a mess. You would think cucumbers would be gross after freezing, but they are not. Sure tastes good in middle of winter! I have also made them with some spices added, but I think I like them "plain" best.


Frozen Cucumber Salad

2 quarts sliced, un-peeled small cucumbers
2 medium onions, sliced
1 Tbls. salt
1 cup white vinegar
1-1/4 cup granulated sugar

Combine cucumbers, onion, and salt. Let mixture soak for 3 hours. In a saucepan, warm the vinegar and sugar, stir to dissolve sugar. Rinse cucumbers and onions lightly. Drain well. Add to sugar/vinegar mixture. Ladle into freezer containers or freezer bags. Freeze. When ready to serve, defrost and serve chilled.
Yield 1-1/2 quarts.

Thats a great recipe, Juli! I am going to try that! A pickle recipe traditionally makes so much that it would be better to make smaller servings and leave them in the freezer. Thanks for posting that.

That sounds really odd, but certainly worth a try. It sounds like it may be more of a bread/butter pickle with the sugar added, is that correct?

I don't know what the pickeling spices are for them. That is why I am planning on using the Mrs Waggies mixes. But they have different flavors.

I've never heard of Mrs. Wagglies...

http://www.mrswages.com/

They have all sorts of canning and refriderator mixes.

Deb, I don't know, as I am not sure what defines a bread and butter pickle.

Ha ha, me either. I tend to label my own pickles as either dills or regulars. My regular pickle recipe is sliced and has sugar in the brine but is not overly sweet. It's the pickle I use on a burger or in a sandwich. I've assumed a bread and butter pickle would be similar to my regular pickles, but who knows.

I am going to try this recipe that I found on facebook.

FRESH CUCUMBER SALAD


7 cups unpeeled pickling cucumbers sliced thin
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced bell peppers
1 tbsp salt
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seed


Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set aside.
Put vinegar, sugar, celery seed and mustard seed in a pot and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and let cool for one hour.
Pour mixture over cucumbers.
Put in jars and store in refrigerator.
Will keep up to 2 months.

Makes 2 quart jars.

Yum, let us know how they turn out. I'm also wondering about the 2 month expiration - seems with that much vinegar they'd last until eaten? That may well be less than 2 months, but thinking of numerous jars.

Yumm!

I would say they would last too. The vinegar and salt are both good preserving agents.