24 Hour Refrigerator Pickles

We have a ton of cucumbers coming form the garden and my husband really wanted to make pickles but he wanted to make sure he could find a recipe that doesn't contain sugar (I don't eat sugar anymore).  He found one on about.com.     I have to give all the credit for these to my husband Mike.  He tends the garden, picks the vegetables and made these pickles.

I can tell you this, they taste great even with them still being crunchy.  Can't wait until they sit in the refrigerator for a while.

24 Hour Refrigerator Pickles
1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 springs of fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-1/2 pounds cucumbers, sliced or cut into spears (Mike made them both ways)
Make a brine by combing water, vinegar, salt and honey; bring to a boil.  Pack two clean jars (pint mason jars) with the cucumbers.  Add one clove of garlic, one sprig of dill, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to each jar as you pack in the cucumbers.  Make sure the cucumbers are packed in there so they will not float when you add the brine.

Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers in the jars.  The cucumbers should be completely immersed in brine.  Since these refrigerator pickles will not be canned, it is not necessary to leave head space between the surface of the food and the rims of the jars.  Fasten lids and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating.

Also you can make bread and butter pickles by using 1/4 cup instead of the 2 tablespoons of honey.  Add 1/4 cup finely sliced white onions.  Sprinkle 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds and 2 or 3 whole allspice into each jar as you load the vegetables.  (I am hoping that Mike will make these next).