A friend was asking what to do with the pickle surplus from her garden. I thought that perhaps others were having the same problem at this time. So I offer a recipe from my childhood. My Great Uncle Red's Refrigerator Pickles. My mother usually had a large gallon jar of these in the refrigerator in the summer and they were so good.But first, some information on my Great Uncle Red. Red grew up in a pretty dysfunctional family for the time. He grew up without a father and with a preoccupied mother. As I understand it he and his siblings basically cared for themselves. The silver lining to this thundercloud is that Red was a superb cook. His turkey and dressing is legendary in my family. My own personal favorite of his was Blackberry Cobbler. Well, my Great Aunt Jane always made it but it was under his close personal supervision! She always said that she couldn't cook at all when they married and he taught her everything she knew.
There is so much I more I could say about Red. I was fortunate to know him into my adulthood. He is from a generation of men that I'm not sure are even around anymore. He wasn't exactly "warm" but he showed us he loved us by his actions. He made sure all in his family were cared for and provided for.
Well, back to the pickles. Store bought pickles just cannot compare to homemade. And there is nothing like plucking a vegetable from your own garden and eating it. So, if you are like my friend I urge you to use up some of those pickles with this recipe.
Refrigerator Pickles
makes 1 gallon
7 or 8 large cucumbers
6 onions
Slice and layer alternately in a gallon glass jar.
Mix:
4 cups vinegar
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup pickling salt
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp turmeric
Mix until dissolved and pour over contents of jar. Let sit for three days in refrigerator before eating.
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