1 recipe basic brine and 1/2 cup of sugar (see brine recipe below)
Dried chile, one for each container
Bruised garlic clove, one for each container
Fresh bay leaf, a small one or a piece for each container
2 T. mustard seeds (black or brown if you can get them)
1 T. pepper corn + 2 t. coriander seeds + 2 t. fennel seeds
© 
Additional Tips
In this recipe for a refrigerator pickle, I use rice winevinegar because its low acidity does not fade the color of the vegetables asquickly as the more typical white vinegar. The spices can vary - more or lessof them to your taste. The only essential thing to a “pickle” is thebrine - water, vinegar and salt. You can pickle your veggies for up to 4 weeksin the fridge for a stronger flavor before eating or you can set them out thenext day for a fresh crunch with a glass of Spicewood Vineyards' SauvignonBlanc. Just one reminder: the longer green vegetables “cook” in the acidicenvironment of the brine, the darker they get. That bright green color ofstore-bought dills is not natural, but the more muted green of the Texassagebrush you’ll get with age is worth the flavor.
For a basic brine, use 3 quarts water, 1quart vinegar and 1 cup Kosher salt. Bring this to a boil for a few minutes todissolve the salt (and sugar if you want sweet pickles). If you are going topickle green veggies, cool the brine to room temperature. For the less fragileveggies like carrots or cauliflower you can pour the pickle brine over themhot.If you want a strong spice or herb flavor, the stems of the herbs, garlic,dried peppers or any and all of the spices you are using in the brine can beadded while it boils.
Remember those bright yellow pickles yousee at state fairs? That cook has added turmeric for color and maybe someColeman’s dry mustard for spice. I blanch all my green veggies before I picklethem, because when using cold brine the pickling needs a jump start. If I ampickling baby carrots, I just peel and trim; the hot brine right off the stovewill blanch them and start the pickling process right away. Soft veggies likesliced cucumbers or yellow squash can be pickled raw. Try red onions with a redwine Vinegar and some Merlot in the brine, and add a whole dried clove or twoto each jar for some extra interest. You can even pickle cauliflower inbalsamic vinegar for another wonderful flavor, and the color is surprising.