Classroom Refrigerator Pickles
Time: 20 minutes (then 2 days in refrigerator)
Makes 24 spears
- Ingredients
- 12 small, halved cucumbers (should equal 2 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic (halved)
- 2 stalks fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sea salt (not coarse)
- 2 teaspoons sugar (unrefined)
- Tools
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Wide-mouth 24-oz. mason jar
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 11 bowls or cups for displaying ingredients
- 4- to 6-cup electric kettle
- Spoon
- Long oven mitts
- Recipe Activity
- 1. Beforehand, prep all of your ingredients and place in individual bowls for display. Be sure to leave a few cucumbers whole and a full head of garlic to display and discuss with the class.
- 2. Set up your kettle in a teacher-only spot in the classroom.
- 3. Prep your ingredients to be used for observation: Cut 12 small cucumbers in half length-wise and place them in a bowl, along with 2 whole cucumbers. Smash and peel your garlic and place in a bowl along with a whole head of garlic. Place all other ingredients in their own separate bowls. Make sure you have ¼ cup of spices in the bowls so kids can easily observe them.
- 4. Begin the activity: Place all of the ingredients and your mason jar on the table. Talk about the ingredients. Have the kids smell them and feel them. Ask them if there is anything on the table they have seen before. Ask them where they think the ingredients come from.
- 5. Make the pickles: Bring your kettle to the table and to it add your vinegars, sugar, salt, and water. Involve the kids as much as you feel they are able. Place the kettle on its electric base and heat.
- 6. While the kettle is heating, bring the students’ attention to the mason jar. Have them add the cucumber slices. Then guide them in measuring out the peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, dill, and garlic. Place the ingredients in the jar.
- 7. Once your vinegar mixture is heated in the kettle, have all of the students stand away from the table and observe. Put on your mitts and pour the liquid into the jar. Use a spoon to push down the cucumbers so that the liquid covers all of the cucumbers and spices. Close your jar. Now bring the kids up to the table to observe, but tell them they can only look, not touch. The jar will be hot.
- 8. Set the pickles aside and let the jar cool for 1 hour. Then place the pickle jar in your refrigerator. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours. (Pickles will last up to one month in the refrigerator.)
- Note: If you are unable to use a kettle in your classroom, have kids place all the ingredients, including liquids, in the jar. Photograph the jar. Tell them you will take the pickles home to cook. At home, create your own jar of pickles, heating the liquid mixture on the stove. Bring this new jar back the next day. Place the jar in your classroom refrigerator and continue the activities as written above.
Adult Supervision Recommended
