Making refrigerator pickles

Living the Country Life Radio Program with Betsy Freese

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Pick the right cukes

Listen to this radio show (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Lauren Devine, FreshPreserving community manager, Jarden Home Brands

I love pickles of every kind. My favorite is a big, whole dill. I think I'll try making refrigerator pickles, because the process is super easy and doesn't require canning.

Not every cucumber becomes a pickle. Lauren Devine, a product scientist for a food preservation company, says while cruising the farmers' market, pick up a batch of Kirby pickling cucumbers to use for refrigerator pickles.

"What you want to look for is some smaller ones about 4 to 6 inches in length," Devine says. "Look for ones that are very fresh looking, a really green color, and touch them to make sure they're very firm. And really, you want to try to use them within 24 hours of their harvest. Going the farmers' market and getting them directly that way, you'll have a better cucumber, which means, in essence, you'll have a better pickle in the process."

If you can't make pickles within 24 hours, store the cucumbers in the refrigerator, unwashed, in a plastic bag, up to three days.