Right up front, this is going to be one of those "use a pinch of this and a smidge of that" kind of recipes. This is actually a "to taste" recipe, which requires just a bit of explaination, hence the recipe looks long and complicated. It isn't.
We love pickles in my family, but who has time to spend 14 days or even 14 hours making pickles. Plus, pickles that are heated too much, no matter how long you soak the cukes in ice water, are still kinda soggy, which I hate. (This pickle thing must be a family trait because we all hate soggy pickles.) So here is my family's recipe for making quick, very easy (if my dog had thumbs he could make these) and almost instant gratification pickles. And they don't require but 5 ingredients and about an hour of your time to prepare them. You can make them in the morning and eat them for dinner.
What you need:
1 Qt Apple Cider Vinegar --the brown kind makes the best pickles but they are not as "pretty" as those made with white vinegar. If you use white vinegar, make sure it is distilled from grain...otherwise it might be motor oil's first cousin...
1 cup of sugar or equivalent sweetner (you can use honey or sucanat, but expect
taste to be different. I am not sure about using Splenda or Equal)
3 tablespoons salt (iodized salt will make pickles look cloudy, but won't hurt taste)
25-30 small to medium fresh, firm pickling cucumbers--enough to fill two qt jars
Water
In a sauce pan (or in the microwave, if you are a nuker), combine the vinegar, the sugar and the salt and bring almost to a boil, just enough to dissolve everything thoroughly. Do not lean over the pot and smell the hot vinegar, unless you are in the mood for a major head rush. Seriously.
Set aside and let brine cool off. At this point, I always taste it and adjust if needs a little more sugar or salt. You may like yours a little sweeter or a little more sour. (If you want dill, leave out the sugar and double the salt. Add a garlic clove and a pinch of dill seed to the jar with the cukes and follow the rest of the recipe. The dill version takes about 3-5 days longer to pickle.)
Wash throughly and slice cukes into 1/8 inch thick slices (you can slice a little thicker, but will take a day or two longer to be completely pickled). If your cukes are small enough (but not more than 2-3 inches long) you can use them whole. Soak them in very cold water for about 10 minutes, drain off water and pack slices into clean jars*.
*Since you are not processing these pickles for long term storage, you can just make sure that your jar(s) are washed with soap and hot water, along with your lids. These will go straight into the 'fridge.
When brine has cooled to just the hot side of lukewarm pour over the cucumber slices, until jar is 3/4 full. Finish filling the jar with cold water, until slices are all covered. Put the lids on tight, give the jar a shake or two and put in 'fridge. In 12-24 hours, your pickles will be ready to eat. This recipe usually makes 2 quarts, but size of slices may make a few more or less.
I keep the brine in the 'fridge and just add more cukes as the jar gets empty. It will keep for a couple of months.
Tip: Try growing a cucumber hill (3-4 plants in same large pot) in a container on your deck or in your garden and you can make these fresh anytime. Or you can easily obtain these few ingredients as organic and use sea salt.
