Fridge pickles are ready! Now what?

[maslovma]

I made refrigerator pickles for the first time and they are DELICIOUS! My question: if I leave them in the pickling liquid, will they absorb more flavor and risk becoming overpowering? What do I do with them now?!

[maslovma]

Yes, my pickles are pickles... they just aren't preserved. Here is the recipe from my blog: http://eatniks.wordpress.com/2009/08/...

[silverhawk]

i wonder if i'm imaging fridge pickles as you are. i think of fridge pickles as fresh sliced cucumber, sliced onion, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and ice water. i think of such pickles as crispish and transient. that is, i make enough for a summer dinner and call it quits after that.

are your pickles picklier than my very humble ones?

[greygarious]

Silverhawk, it sounds like your idea of refrigerator pickles is what my mother (and now, I) called cucumber salad. Cukes sliced as close to paper-thin as possible (mom didn't have a mandoline so I have it easier), and needing just an hour or so to meld the flavors. What I think of as refrigerator pickles is either spears or thicker rounds, put into sterilized (or at least very clean, hotwater-washed) jars along with sliced onion, dill, garlic, mustard seed - or some combination thereof - with a boiling brine of vinegar, sugar, and water poured over. Put on the lids, let cool, and refrigerate. Strictly speaking, these are not sterilized enough for the unopened jars to be stored at room temperature, but due to the high-acid brine, many people have safely done so.

[silverhawk]

i was wondering if my puzzlement might be the result of a naming confusion. thanks. i am surely thinking about the quicky preparation you call "salad." a nice summer treat by any name--just not one that ages well.

[Phurstluv]

Serve them with burgers, hot dogs, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, heck even my 5 y.o. eats them with his turkey, cheese & black olive sammies on the side! Keep them as long as you can and you can even use the brine in cole slaw dressing and, my fave, potato salad dressing!

[Mellicita]

Would you mind sharing the recipe you used for the pickles?

I've been wanting to try doing this for a while now!

[greygarious]

Would you remove storebought jarred pickles from their brine? Of course not - treat your own the same way. The flavor will not change but the texture does - they slowly get softer. So you don't want them in the refrigerator for months on end. Enjoy them within a few weeks.

[maslovma]

Excellent point! Thank you so much!