Sriracha Refrigerator Pickles

It’s picnic season which means lots of sweaty backs, hot grills, ice cold beer, hamburgers, and hot dogs. It also means that grocery stores are creating condiment stands where you can grab the staples for your backyard BBQ all in one place. Classic yellow mustard, sugary ketchup, pickle relish, and some soft white buns coming right up! 

This gives me a great excuse to throw a few punches at traditional picnic condiments by making my own, like these spicy and sweet Sriracha Refrigerator Pickles. They are so easy to make. With only a few ingredients you can add a crunchy new twist on top of your juicy burgers, or dice them to make a spicy relish to slather on hot dogs. Or, do as I do, eat them right out of the jar. 

Making refrigerator-style pickles is so easy you’ll wonder why you ever bought a jar of soggy pickles at the store. The key to making a good pickle at home is to buy fresh cucumbers from a farmer’s market or organic grocery store. If you buy a wax-covered cucumber and try to make pickles with it, well, it just won’t work. 

Remember: dull skins, not shiny. A dull skin means your cukes are happily unwaxed specimens, and perfectly ready to pickle!

Sriracha Refrigerator Pickles

Makes a 1-quart jar of pickles

You will need: a1-quart jar with a tight fitting lid (A mason jar or a washed out pickle jar from the store will do)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons Sriracha  
• 4-6 fresh (unwaxed) cucumbers, sliced (or cut in to spears)
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ½ white onion, sliced in to half moons

Directions:

1. In a large microwave safe bowl with a spout, stir together apple cider vinegar, sugar, sriracha, and salt. Place in microwave for about 3 minutes; stirring once to ensure the salt and sugar are dissolved. It’s best if the brine is still warm for the next step (speeds up the pickling process).
2. In the cleaned and dry 1-quart jar, pack cucumbers, onion, and garlic slices very tightly. Pour the brine over the cucumbers until completely covered. Seal and refrigerate. Pickles will be tasty within a few hours, but best after one week. Will last up to 3 months in the fridge. 

 *Sriracha, a hot chili sauce, is a condiment growing in popularity; however, some people still haven't heard of it. Below is a link to buy your own squeeze jar of the best hot sauce in the world (in my humble opinion).*