Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Duris Cucumber Farm in Puyallup, Washington with a few of my Army sisters for a 2nd Annual “Pickling Party.” We each stood around an outdoor table adding a magical mix of ingredients to a jar to create the perfect “Cold Pack Dill Pickle.” Today I am sharing my version of this EASY recipe.

I have changed the recipe a bit by adding more detailed steps, more facts about pickling, a few extra spices, and changing ingredient amounts to meet the tastes of my family and friends. If you would like to see the original recipe, please click here to review the Duris Cucumber Farm COLD PACK REFRIGERATOR DILLS recipe. It is a DANDY!

If you are a dill pickle fan, this is a “must try” recipe!

Sparkle! Sparkle! XX-gwyn

Pickling Facts and Tips

Grape leaves have an enzyme that will keep your pickles crisp.
A white onion will stay crisper than a purple or yellow onion for this recipe.
The blossom end (the lighter end) of the cucumber will make your pickles soft and unsafe to eat. Cut it off. Who says so? The National Center for Food Preservation.
Pack the pickles tightly. They will shrink a tiny bit over time.
Pickling salt is a must. Table salt has an anti-caking agent inside. It will separate from the salt gradual and make your brine cloudy.
Allum keeps your pickles crisp.
White vinegar is made from grains. It can be substituted in this recipe. It has a mallow aroma with a tart acid flavor.
Apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples. It has a mellow, fruity flavor that blends well with spices. It will darken most vegetables and fruits but is wonderful for this recipe. Whichever you choose, make sure it has a 5% acetic content.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 1 -1 quart jar.

The ingredients and measurements I adjusted have been italicized.

2 grape leaves
3 stems fresh dill, wound in a small circle, flowers removed and set aside
2 – 1/8″ slice white onion
1 – 1/8″ slice of sweet red bell pepper
5 – 6 medium pickling cucumbers, washed, blossom end removed
2 – 5 small pickling cucumbers, washed, blossom end removed
3 – ¼” fresh jalapeño pepper slices
3 peeled cloves of garlic
3 dill flowers, clipped from stems above
3 teaspoons of pickling salt
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 or 2 dried hot red chili pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon of alum
½ cup of 5% apple cider vinegar
spring water or distilled water

Directions

1. In a small dish, use a fork to mix the pickling salt, yellow mustard seed, black mustard seed, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and the alum. Set aside.

2. Place a grape leave into the bottom of a 1 quart jar.

3. Then add the wound dill stems on top of the grape leaf.

4. Next place the white onion slice flat on top of the dill.

5. Tilt the jar on its side and without letting the onion fall, place the slice of red bell pepper flat against the jar.

6. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 1/16″ off the blossom end off the pickle. Which is the blossom end? It is the lighter end. The end with the rough dot verses the indented dot at the end of the cucumber.

7. Carefully tilt the jar again, keeping the onion against the bottom and the pepper flat against the jar, add your first layer of medium cucumbers vertically.

8. Slide half the garlic cloves, jalapeños, dill flowers, and the red pepper randomly around the jar wall. If you can add another medium pickle, stuff it in. Press the pickles down firmly into the bottom of the jar.

9. Arrange the small pickling cucumbers in the jar and slide the remaining garlic cloves, jalapeños, and the dill flowers around the small pickles. (If you have an extra pickle, slice it and add on top of the whole pickles. Use them as testers.)