Ted Allen's Refrigerator Pickles

Sweet or dill? I'm a dill gal all the way -- always have been. My mother-in-law prefers sweet pickles; she's the only "black sheep" in our immediate family that does. The rest of us have fun teasing her about her sweet pickle affinity. What's your pickle vote?

Today is a recipe review kind of day! Every so often, we'll do a recipe, cookbook or product review on the blog. This recipe comes from Food Network's "Chopped" host, Ted Allen, and is in the June/July issue of the AARP Magazine. It peaked my interest because it looked fresh and the pickle arena is new to me. Let the fun begin!

If there were two words to describe this jar of goodness, they would be delightful and invigorating. The veggies have a zest to them and heat that energizes my taste buds. Spice adds immense flavor, but I don't like my mouth to be on fire -- this combo gets it right, it's got heat, but a good amount. And really, if you're a spice wimp, ditch or adjust the hot peppers  -- no biggie.

*Note my minor jalapeño tweak: I wasn't sure how an un-cut pepper would kick-up the jar innards without it's seeds being exposed, so I cut each jalapeño in half.

A few things I love about this pickled concoction...

• The outcome is stunning. I had loads of fun photo-shooting. Oh, you couldn't tell?
• Zero canning equipment is required (outside of quart jars). This was great since I don't have a pressure canner... yet.
• The taste was delicious. It's hard to pinpoint what makes it so addicting, but we kept digging in for more! The veggies were crisp and oozing with flavor.
• It's super duper, way, extremely, unbelievably EASY to make!

If you already pickle and have a garden in your backyard, it's also inexpensive. Grab some kosher salt, coriander seed, mustard seed, black peppercorns, celery seed and fresh dill. Mmm, mmm, mmm!

Every pickled veggie in this wonder jar was captivating -- the cucumbers, fresh beans and carrots -- but my prize was the cauliflower. I'd never bitten into pickled cauliflower before, and it was a surprise to experience how tasty they can be. My only regret is not stuffing in more!

 

Alright, enough said about this recipe other than I challenge you to try it at home. If you're looking for a recipe to accompany it, check out the bonus Deviled Egg Recipe here. Happy pickling friends!

 



 “You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the world’s light—a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:13-16 (TLB)

TED ALLEN'S REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

Prep time: 10-15 min.

Servings: 32

 

Brine

• 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 6 tsp. kosher salt
• Several sprigs fresh dill
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 tsp. coriander seed
• 1 tsp. mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns

Vegetables

• 6 Kirby cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
• A handful of fresh green beans
• A few pieces of cauliflower
• 2 jalapeños

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, boil 4 cups of water; reduce to a simmer and add garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Add vinegar and salt; boil. Stir until salt dissolves. Remove from heat.
2. In two 1-quart Mason jars, add dill, seeds and peppercorns. Using tongs, remove garlic from brine and add to jars. Pack jars with vegetables and chilies.
3. Bring brine to a boil and pour over vegetables to cover. Cool, cover and refrigerate. The pickles are best after a few days and keep for up to 3 months.