Quick Dill Pickled Cucumbers
What do you do when you have a cucumber plant that continues to pump out copious amounts of cucumbers all summer long? You make quick dill pickled cucumbers!
I made my first batch in January and have just put a second batch into the fridge to pickle this week. Being March now it’s technically the start of Autumn, but the weather is still more like late summer. Warm and humid. And I’m not complaining! My birthday is in March and I’ve always (hopefully) thought of it as still being late summer.
Either way, it seems our cucumber plant has done it’s dash for the season so I picked the last few cucumbers off this week and what better timing to make a fresh batch given we are almost through our last jar from the original batch.
Quick pickled cucumbers are one of those surprisingly easy things to make that continue to bring pleasure for weeks afterwards. They’re very quick to assemble, just a bit of mixing and slicing required, and their versatility is only limited by your imagination. They’re delicious straight from the jar, dipped in hummus, on top of crackers, in salads and sandwiches, or loaded up with smoky peanut butter, sauerkraut and dukkah on toast! (See my Instagram for that amazing combo).
In the method below I’ve given the option to sterilise the jars, but strictly speaking it’s not necessary for this type of pickle because they’re stored in the fridge and are expected to be eaten within a month or two. I’ve also given two options for the pickling liquid, heated and not. Because I used raw apple cider vinegar I didn’t want to heat it and destroy all it’s raw goodness, but equally if you’re concerned or have gone to the effort of sterilising your jars, then by all means bring the liquid to a boil and chill again before using.
I hope you enjoy this quick little pickle recipe and if you make it, be sure to come back and leave me a comment to tell me what you think! Enjoy.
Quick Dill Pickled Refrigerator Cucumbers
Makes: 2 to 3 jars
Prep time: 30 minutes
4 medium cucumbers
Handful of fresh dill or 2 tsp dried dill
1 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1 cup boiled water, chilled
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp pink Himalayan salt
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
Strictly speaking you don’t have to use sterilised jars for quick refrigerator pickles because they’re stored in the fridge and are intended to be eaten sooner rather than later. That said, if you want to be on the super safe side you can sterilise your jars by either placing the clean dry jars into a 130ºC oven for at least 20 minutes then allow to cool on wire racks. Alternatively place them in the microwave with a very small amount of water inside e.g. 1/2 tsp, for 45 seconds. Again allow to cool before filling to avoid cracking the jars from too rapid cooling.
Boil your water and allow it to cool. Slice up the cucumbers and place in the jars along with the dill.
Combine the remaining ingredients together and stir until everything is dissolved. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers in the jars and then seal the lids tightly. Note: if you’ve taken the time to sterilise your jars you may wish to bring the pickling liquid to the boil too, in which case no need to used pre-boiled water. Just be sure to let it cool fully before pouring over the cucumbers to avoid having soft pickles.
Store the jars in the fridge and allow the cucumbers to pickle for at least a couple of days before breaking into them. The longer they’re left, the stronger the flavour. These refrigerator dill pickles will keep for at least 8 weeks.
