REFRIGERATOR ICE CREAM PAIL PICKLES

These sweet pickled cucumbers, cauliflower, onions and peppers are brined in ice cream pails. We store them in the refrigerator rather than processing them. They can last in the fridge for up to four months.

Yield: Makes 14 cups.

REFRIGERATOR ICE CREAM PAIL PICKLES

Ingredients

  • 10 cups sugar
  • 6 cups vinegar
  • 1/4 cup pickling salt
  • 2 tbsp mustard seed
  • 2 tbsp turmeric
  • 14 cups thinly sliced English cucumbers (about 4 lb/2 kg)
  • 4 cups peeled pickling onions (about 2 lb/1 kg)
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 4 cups cauliflower florets (about 2 lb/1 kg)

Directions

  1. Wash two ice cream pails thoroughly with hot soapy water. Rinse pails with a solution of 1 tbsp chlorine bleach per quart of water; rinse with boiling water.
  2. To prepare pickling liquid, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard seed and turmeric in a nonreactive Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
  3. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm. Combine cucumbers, onions, green pepper and cauliflower; divide equally between pails.
  4. Pour pickling liquid over vegetables; stir to mix well. Vegetables must be completely covered with pickling liquid.
  5. Cover and refrigerate. Stir pickles daily for first 2 days. Store refrigerated for up to 4 months.
Nutritional analysis per 1/4 cup:

65 Calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.3 g protein, 15.9 g carbohydrate, 0.3 g fibre, 194 mg sodium