Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles

Bread & Butter Pickles

I never can anything.  I just don’t do it.

Some people are always prepared.  I’m never prepared.  You need to have jars ready to use.  You need a good place to store your jars.  And, you need to remember to USE what’s in the jars.  (I’m ridiculously forgetful.  I’m always forgetting those great little things tucked away at the back of my pantry.  And, I hate throwing things away.  With an Italian grandmother, I was taught at a very young age that we’re not wasters.)  Since I rarely have clean jars ready to go, I’m much more likely to just make a batch of pickles, jam, or whatever that’s just big enough to eat.  And, there are so many reasons why I like to do this.  First and foremost, I’m fickle.  What I want to eat now, I rarely want to eat next month.  Been there, done that… That’s the way my mind works.

So, this will make one big bowl of pickles that you can store in the fridge.  We’ll probably devour them within the week.

Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles
makes 1 big bowl

6-7 Kirby cucumbers, well-washed and cut into spears
2 red peppers, sliced into similar-sized pieces
1 Vidalia onion, cut into fat slices
20 whole garlic cloves, trimmed
3 cups cidger vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 Tablespoon celery seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Combine all ingredients (except cucumbers, red pepper slices, and onion slices) into a large non-reactive stock pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add vegetables.  Bring mixture back to a boil.  Cover and set aside to cool.  When cool, pour into large glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the fridge.  At minimum, let chill overnight.  But, they are best after 24 hours.

Eat with a cheese plate, salad, grilled meats or any meal you choose.  Or, simply nibble spears as a snack like we do.

Chillin’ in the pot.