Pickles, Refrigerator Pickles & Pickling Veges

Hey!  Guess what?  I really really LOVE pickles.  Words that come to mind when I think of pickles are "Zing!", "Pizzaz!", crunch, brine, garlicy, refreshing snack, hotdogs, grillers, cookouts, potatoe salad and summer.  Love love LOVE pickles, and in particular refrigerator or barrel-cured pickles (not heat processed).

Without a doubt, my favorite snack, hotdog and burger pickles are the fresh-packed Claussens, usually found in the refrigerated section at the store, along with the sliced meats.  Oh baby!  I was thrilled to introduce these pickles to my family down in Tennessee.  They all seemed to enjoy them - either that or they were trying to get me to calm down about a simple little pickle!

Another variety of pickle I enjoy are the Mt. Olive brand, but only the Petite Dills.  Though I am pretty sure that they are not refrigerator pickle, they have a fantastic crunch and a fantastic garlic enhanced flavor.  These tend to be the best for Potatoe Salad & relishes.  (Just for the record, my mouth is thoroughly watering.)

Just a week ago, I was delighted to discover a new brand of barrel-cured pickle at Walmart.  They were right next to the Claussens in the refrigerated sandwich meats.  (By the way, I utterly hate shopping at Walmart, but with growing kids and $$ these days, sacrifices have to be made.)  The below variety caught my eye:  Guss' Hot & Spicy Fresh Kosher Dill Chips.  OOOOOH MAN!  SO GOOD!  These may take the place of Claussens as my favorite pickle!

So, what's the point of all this pickle blathering?  Well, since I hate to see an empty pickle jar, and even more loathe to throw away the remained liquid gold, I set about to discover ways to prolong my enjoyment of the pickle's crunch and flavor. 

So, I cut up onions, cauliflower (great crunch), sweet peppers, jalapaneos, and even left over diced cucumbers or onions from meals such as haystacks.  After tossing them into the pickle brine and letting them set for 3 or 4 days, you will be rewarded with pickled onions (great with hotdogs, burgers or in sandwiches), fresh relishes and crunchy pickled veges for vege platters or snacking.  Plus you don't waste food and $$.  This is also a good way to save older non-spoiled veges from refrigerator oblivion.

This is a picture of fresh relish (cukes, cauliflower, red pepper - for some heat, and onions)

These will last many weeks in your refrigerator - if you don't eat them first.  After a few rounds of fresh cauliflower, onions, or whatever, the brine can start to lose its punch.  I have found splashing in a bit of white vinegar, throwing in some kosher salt and several cloves of freshly minced or sliced garlic will return the brine to its former glory.  I have been experimenting with adding mustard seeds, dill seeds, peppercorns and red pepper flakes to add spice.  So incredibly good.

Kiersten hates cauliflower.  I love it.  Pickling it has made her a cauliflower lover - she even planted a half of a row of cauliflower in the garden for this purpose.  I rest my case!

I highly recommend that you give this a try.  Instead of throwing away your pickle juice, dump it in a one or two quart canning jar and save it in your fridge.  Then start adding your favorite veges and spices.  Experiment.  Its totally worth it.