Refrigerator Pickles

Like most Americans, I consider Labor Day to mark the end of summer, even if it's somewhat wishful thinking here in balmy North Carolina.  In any case, the holiday weekend provided the perfect excuse for one last barbecue, and you'd better believe I took advantage of it.

Hot dogs and hamburgers are enticing enough, but I wanted to make something a little extra interesting to attract attendees.  "I'm making my own pickles!" I crowed, not actually knowing anything about pickling.  An hour of reading later, I'd realized a few things: 1) There was no way I would be canning anything, so refrigerator pickles were the way to go; 2) Bread-and-butter-style pickles are a little more interesting to make, as you can play with the flavor profile in a way you can't with the more rigid dill-pickle style; and 3) Pickling is EASY.  Here's how you can do it too:

You'll need:

2 cups distilled white wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
7-8 cloves of garlic, cut into eighths
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. pickling spices (pre-mixed or your own combination)
3 medium-sized cucumbers

Scrub cucumbers well and wash in hot water.  Slice cucumbers into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices, then place them in a large heat-proof container.

Add all of the other ingredients to a medium saucepan.  Stir well and bring to a rolling boil.  Immediately remove from heat and pour the pickling juice over the cucumber slices.

Let cool to room temperature, then cover your container with an airtight lid and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  You can occasionally shake and taste the pickles (they'll be delicious even after an hour), but try to wait a full day to get the full flavor effect.  I got around 50 cucumber slices from my three cucumbers, so if you figure that at 3 pickles per hot dog/hamburger, you should have enough for about 16 servings.

Happy eating!