Sweet and Spicy Pickles

Dad brought these enormous cucumbers in.
I couldn't figure out what in the world to do with them, I don't like plain cucumbers.
Now pickles I like so I tried to find a pickling recipe but what I found instead was a marinade that sounded good. But then I thought, why couldn't the marinade become a pickling brine.
O my gosh it was awesome. I totally changed the whole recipe because I didn't have all the right ingredients, but it turned out fabulous and it was SO easy. I promise! IT really was!


I grabbed a few wide mouth jars I'd been saving for, I'm sure some craft project or storage and made this recipe up as I went and it was absolutely perfect.


recipe
4 Large Cucumbers
2 small sweet onions
1 cup of rice vinegar
8 tbs sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp of dill
2 tsp of red pepper flakes
2 tbs salt
3 garlic cloves ( quartered)


--------
slice cucumbers in half lengthwise and then in thin strips
cut onion in half and then in thin strips, toss together with garlic and stuff into jars
on your stove top combine liquid ingredients, sugar, dill, pepper and salt.
Bring to a boil while stirring.
Funnel into jars over the cucumbers while liquid is very hot.
Fill to top and screw on lid.
------
refrigerate 4 hours to 5 days before opening.
I couldn't wait.
James and I emptied a whole jar while watching one movie. They were fabulous!
It's so sweet first and then the heat...it's really not too much.
Even the onions were divine!
-----
alternatives
you can substitute the rice vinegar for white vinegar
you can also decrease or increase your pepper flakes
garlic can be omitted
and instead of dill you can use celery seed.
Enjoy!