My husband and I recently took off three weeks to explore the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier (trip report to come). Three weeks was an amazing break from work and responsibilities but it also made us appreciate where we live, our friends, our flexible jobs who didn’t bat an eye when we asked for three weeks off and the mundane things that make our life ours. I absolutely love traveling and exploring the world, seeing new places and experiencing different cultures (not that Montana is really a different culture than Colorado but you know what I mean). One of my favorite parts about travelling is how it helps me find happiness and appreciation in my everyday life.

Before we left, one of the things I was disappointed to leave was our vegetable garden. I may have also mentioned the garden to my husband a couple of times on vacation as well. I don’t have a green thumb, although I’m trying to improve and the effort was noticeable this year. The garden flourished compared to last year. Just as we were getting ready to leave of course, everything started to ripen! Our friends who were watching the house enjoyed a few monstrous zucchini as a result. When we cut our trip short due to wild fires in Glacier, we were happy to see a handful of oddly shaped cucumbers waiting for us in the garden when we got home. I decided to turn them into one of my favorite snacks, pickles.

This recipe is from my Auntie Ann and is an easy refrigerator pickle recipe. There is no boiling or canning necessary. The base for the brine is rice vinegar, giving the pickles a slightly sweeter flavor. Because there is no boiling involved, these pickles stay nice and crisp, just the way I like them. They are the perfect snack, taste delicious on a burger or make a nice side salad.

When I made them this time around I did not have white onion on hand so I use red onion instead. If you use red onion, just know that it will turn the brine and pickles slightly purple after a few days of marinating.