I seem to remember my grandmother making pickles rather quickly (without canning). I think they sat for a time either on the kitchen counter or in the fridge. I can't seem to find any recipes remotely similar. Anyone have ideas???? I have an abundance of vege.'s and a craving for pickles. Thanx, Amber

-- Amber Wilford (Amberock@yahoo.com), August 03, 2000

Answers

I am not sure about the pickles but, I have had great luck finding recipes on the web.

-- Jason (littledove6969@earthlink.com), August 03, 2000.

Amber:

There was a quick, no-canning pickle recipe on the forum about ten days ago. Check back posts, probably under Country Kitchen or Misc.

-- Ken S. (scharabo@aol.com), August 03, 2000.

Amber, I don't know where this recipe came from originally, I got it from my friend Bonnie some years ago. The pickles keep longer than we've got the nerve to eat them. It is supposed to make three quarts, but we always have to adjust it. Sorry, we just do it, so I can't correct the recipe.

Refrigerator Pickles

Sliced cucumbers

3 onions (more or less) sliced or chopped

4c white sugar

4c white vinegar

1/3c pickling salt

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons mustard seed

2 teaspoons celery seed

Put sliced cukes and onions in clean scalded quart (or pint) jars. You can scrunch them a little, but don't get carried away.

Make a brine by mixing the rest of the ingredients together. Heat but do NOT boil. Add 1 teaspoon alum (we don't). Pour the brine into the jars, cover without sealing tightly. We use whatever brand of canning lids has the white enamel undersides because of the corrosion.

Put the jars in the refrigerator and wait 5 days before eating. The pickles are supposed to be good for up to a year. They look a lot like bread and butter pickles, but have a very different taste. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_geribl@hotmail.com), August 03, 2000.

Gerbil yours sound delicious. Here's another one that doesn't have to go into jars. Stay crunchy up to 3 weeks;

3 large cucumbers slice 1/16" thick 1 medium sweet onion sliced thinly 1 medium green pepper - chopped

Sprinkle with 1 TBLS of salt and 2 tsp celery seed Stir gently and let stand 1 hour. Combine 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of white vinegar,stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour over cucumber mixture and stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate, Best the next day, and the next, and the next......

-- Lynda (lchev@execpc.com), August 03, 2000.

Easy pickled beets: mix rice vinegar and sugar until it's right on the edge of being tart/sweet (this is what you do for sushi). It's hard to estimate amounts, as you usually have to tinker, but what you do is keep putting sugar in until it won't disolve anymore. I usually start with about 1/2 - 3/4 c. vinegar and go from there.

Cook, peel and cube in 1/4 - 3/8" chunks. Put the beets in a large glass jar and pour the vinegar/sugar mix over. This will do for about one mayo jar's worth of chopped beets. Turn over occasionally to distribute the vinegar mix throughout the beets.

-- Karen Isaacson (karen@terraceweb.com), August 06, 2000.