Paul, I posted some on the old pickle thread, about the same time you were posting this, I think! Be sure you let your refrigerator pickles sit for a couple of days before eating them or they won't be pickles.

THE FRUGÂS PICKLES

In a saucepan, heat on low until thoroughly dissolved:
1 C water
1 tsp salt
1/2 C white vinegar
1/2 C sugar
then stir in:
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp mustard seed
pour the above mix over:
2 cukes, thinly sliced (we use english cukes which are very thin-skinned and don't bother to peel them)
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
cover and refrigerate several hoursÂthese will keep a couple of weeks with no loss of crispness

These are pretty good for dill pickles, they're a sweet dill, kind of different:

Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles

2 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup salt
3 quarts sliced unpeeled cucumbers
1 large onion, sliced
3/4 to 1 cup minced fresh dill

In a saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. In a large nonmetallic container, combine cucumbers, onion and dill. Pour dressing over; cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 days before serving. Stir occasionally. Yield: 3-1/2 quarts.

Finally, here's a spicy one that Elery wants me to try, I haven't made it yet but I'm going to. It's from AllRecipes.

Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickles

12 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
2 cups water
1 3/4 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh dill weed
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 1/2 teaspoons dill seed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 sprigs fresh dill weed

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, pickling spice, dill seed, and red pepper flakes. Stir, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until the sugar and salt dissolve.
2. Remove the cucumbers to three wide mouth jars, placing 4 cucumbers into each jar. Ladle in the liquid from the bowl to cover. Place a sprig of fresh dill into each jar, and seal with lids. Refrigerate for 10 days before eating. Use within 1 month.

Happy Canning. And Pickling!!

Annie

Thanks Annie. I'll have to try those recipes. The ones I made so far had no added water because of all the water in the cucumbers that came out and made the liquid for the pickles. These are not watered down by adding more water?

I am new to the pickle making process so bear with me and the stupid questions.

Thanks,
Paul

Hi Annie and all!

I made the spicy ref. dills(a recipe I found on the net) about 2 weeks ago but put in very little sugar and 2 hot peppers in place of pepper flakes. Really good pickles-crispy and powerful flavour! Really like them-they are a tad salty though-maybe from reducing sugar?

I'm really pleased with the fridge pickles-I haven't had great(crisp) results from BWB processing or crock fermenting so this works well for me-I also like personalizing it with my own spice blends.

Paul, ask away. I don't find that the water makes them less flavorful, the only thing that makes them more like a pickle is time. The longer I let them set the more "pickled" they become.

It just depends on the flavor you like. I don't like sour pickles at all, and I'm not crazy about dills, but I like Linda Lou's sweet chunks, so I might not be a good person to use as a comparison if you like very sour and vinegary pickles.

Annie

Linda Lou's sweet chunks sound really good. I don't know if I have the right recipe for them though. I found 1 that says 7 days and another that said 9 days to make. One heated the brine 2 times and the other heated the brine 4 times. I will have to make sure I get the right one. I like the sweeter pickles. I will try to make dill just to try, but I prefer sweet.

Paul

The time differences will depend on room temps. Some people tolerate 80+ degrees as room temp, while others like 72 degrees. That 8 degree difference can increase fermentation if its on the waremer side.

Paul, this is the recipe I have for Linda Lou's sweet pickle chunks. I don't think they ferment at all, so the temperature wouldn't have a bearing if fermentation isn't an issue.

The notes at the bottom are Linda Lou's.

Sweet pickle chunks:

Pour boiling water over 24 pickling cukes every day for 4 days. On 5th day, drain, cut cukes in chunks and make this syrup:

8 cups sugar
4 cups cider vinegar 5% acidity
3 1/2 tsp. pickling and canning salt
2 Tbsp. pickling spices, tied in a bag.

Pour syrup over cucumber chunks. Every day drain and heat syrup and pour back over pickles for 3 more days. On 4th day, pack pickles into jars, seal with lid. Heat the syrup and use to cover the pickles in jars. Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.
Note: I love these with tuna! I used pickle crisp on these and my dh says they are TOO crunchy. I like them crunchy. The pickle crisp didn't hurt mine at all.

Happy Canning!

Annie

Thanks! I might try this with some straight eights cut into spears. They sound delicious. Would this recipe work for going into the fridge instead of BWB canning?

Paul

Be sure if you are making a refrigerated pickle you make them and put right away in the fridge. Leaving them out without fully fermenting are what I call "listeria pickles". Listeria can grow at room temp. and they don't have time to ferment to come to the right ph level to make them safe otherwise.
The sweet pickles are as Annie posted. They are HIGH sugar and not fermented. They are not the same as making a refrigerator pickle when it comes to leaving them out on the counter for that many days.
If you want to store them for any length of time, then process them. They are like any other food stored in the fridge, just for short time storage.

Paul, if it helps, my daughter and her friends swipe those pickles out of the bucket as soon as the syrup is poured on day 6. Snitching continues through day 10, LOL, I always end up canning about half a batch, so you may have fewer than you think to can!

Annie

I just made Annie's Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles and added a few cloves of garlic.

They're VERY good!

These will be gone in 2 days, guaranteed.

Linda_lou, I think I understand. Anything that is going to be out for any length of time, should be processed BWB. Any fridge pickle should be made and put in fridge right away. You can't just take recipe and throw them into the fridge.

I can't wait to make the sweet chunks. Annie's Sweet Dill are sounding good too. I just bought a case of the Ball quart jars for more pickles. I hope to fill them soon.

Paul