1.5serrano pepperssliced in half lengthwise (see note)
1/2tspred pepper flakes
Instructions
Wash cucumbers and cut into spears or slices. Pack into a wide-mouth pint-sized canning jar, or any clean glass jar. Since these are refrigerator pickles a canning jar is not necessary. Tuck several sprigs of dill in between the cucumbers. If using fresh peppers, add between cucumber spears or slices, evenly distributed throughout the jar (I put one half on each side of the jar and one in the middle).
In a non-reactive saucepan (see note), combine the vinegar, water, garlic cloves, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and coriander seeds. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Pour liquid over cucumbers in the jar. Make sure to include all the mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds, and garlic. (If making multiple jars, include two cloves of garlic per jar and divide the seeds and peppercorns approximately evenly between jars.) If you are using red pepper flakes for spice, add in 1/2 tsp per jar now. If you are using a slightly larger jar and the liquid doesn't fully cover the pickles, fill the rest of the jar up with water.
Close the jar and refrigerate for a minimum of 48 hours. Enjoy!
Notes
To make more than one jar, adjust the slider at the top of the recipe to however many jars you'd like to end up with! Peppers and red pepper flakes: I used serrano peppers but you can use another type of pepper if you wish. Be aware other peppers can be more ore less spicy. For example, jalapenos are less spicy than serranos while thai peppers, habaneros, and (heaven forbid) ghost peppers are spicier. Here is a handy Scoville scale that shows the relative heat of commonly used peppers. You can adjust the number of peppers or amount of red pepper flakes if you want your pickles more or less spicy.Preparing and storing: To quickly cut even slices of cucumbers (straight or crinkle cut), you can use a mandoline like this one. You can also use a crinkle cut knife.These are not shelf-stable, so they will need to be kept in the refrigerator. They should keep in the refrigerator for about two months, if you don't eat them all before that! Non-reactive saucepans: Use a pot made of stainless steel, enamel, glass, or nonstick surface to make the brine. If you use a reactive material like copper, aluminum, or iron, it may leech a metallic taste into your pickles. Read more here.