Try this puckery, palate-pleasing, quick pickle

During the summer, my mom used to keep a container of sliced cucumbers soaked in vinegar in the refrigerator. She put them on the table at every meal and added more cucumbers when her supply was low. Retaining their crispness and fresh taste for about a week, those refrigerated cukes sure hit the spot on a 90-degree day. Cool and tart, they have the acidity I love about pickles.

Mom's laid-back "pickling" technique required almost no time to prepare.

What I love about their preparation is you can slice the cucumbers thin or thick and adulterate them to your liking with garlic, banana peppers, onions, chopped dill or celery seeds. Then you just toss them in a plastic, airtight container and add vinegar, water and cover.

I learned the hard way that you must dilute the vinegar with water or they'll be so tart they'll blow you out of the water! Allow the cucumbers to sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and, voila, you've got pickles!

I'm not the most patient of cooks. If a recipe calls for special equipment or involves a lengthy waiting period, I usually turn the page. So real pickling - the kind that requires such things as water baths, firming agents and a curing time of several weeks - is not my thing.

When my youngest daughter, Lauren, was growing up, she snacked on these things like they were potato chips. So this past weekend, when she and her new beau came for a visit, I knew immediately my mom's pickled cukes were something I should have on hand.

Before she arrived, I bought several cucumbers, filled a large container and surprised her by placing them at the front of the fridge. Flat-out pickle crazy, she introduced them to George immediately. Of all the things I made over the weekend, those dang cucumbers were what they enjoyed most.

MOM'S VINEGAR CUCUMBERS

2 cucumbers, sliced

Distilled vinegar

Water

Put cucumbers in an airtight container and pour vinegar and water over them until they are covered. The ratio should be 3 to 1 vinegar to water (3 parts vinegar for every part water). Refrigerate and allow the cucumbers to marinate overnight before serving.