Refrigerator Pickles - so easy!

I went out to the garden to pick peas yesterday, and to my surprise I also found four little cucumbers!  Yay!  One of our favorite pickles are just plain old refrigerator pickles.  They retain so much freshness and crispness - plus they are really easy. 

The filled jar.  We love pickled onions and whole cloves of garlic pickled right along with the cucumbers!  Kind of a three-for-one-deal. 

Refrigerator Pickles - for one quart jar's worth

4 smallish cucumbers, about 4-5 inches long each

1 large or 2 small purple onions

1 bulb garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon whole mixed color peppercorns

Brine:

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup roasted garlic rice vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp dried dill weed

Slice cucumbers and onions thinly (I use my mandolin set on the #2 setting - another one of my favorite kitchen tools).  Peel cloves of garlic from bulb - you should have about 8 cloves or so.  Layer cucumbers, onions, garlic and peppercorns in large mouth quart jar. 

Add all brine ingredients to jar, put lid on and shake to help dissolve the sugar and salt.  Let sit in the refrigerator for about a week, then you can start eating them! 

Note: I love vinegar, so I tend to put a lot into my pickles.  If you don't like that much vinegar, just don't add as much and add a little extra water to top off the jar.