I grew up going to the local farmers market with my parents every Saturday during summer. My parents are big foodies, and I’ve always been drawn to foods with funky colors and interesting flavors.

This led me to an obsession with pickled peppers starting around the age of nine. A few years ago, my mom put together her own recipe for refrigerator pickles and extended this recipe to include pickled onions.

It was always a special treat to come home from school and realize my mom had whipped up a new batch. I’d put the pickles and onions on every sandwich — and sometimes eat them a la carte — for the next week or so until my family had demolished the entire container.

I realized about a month ago that I could buy pickled onions from the store. I finished those quickly, and the next time I went to pick some up, tragically, they were out of stock. 

After consoling me, my roommate reminded me that onions and vinegar are both cheap, and I could just replenish my supply myself.

Now that I’m not 18 years old and a brand new adult, but 22 and rapidly nearing graduation and my entrance into the real world, I’ve decided that it is the perfect time to learn how to cook some things that weren’t frozen and prepackaged.

My mother emailed me her refrigerator pickles recipe, and I’ve taken it upon myself to tweak the recipe and make it my own.

I started with one-and-a half bell peppers, because that is what I had. I popped the stem and seed-filled part out and washed them off. The seedy part of the pepper has always freaked me out because it reminds me of the teeth on an ovarian cyst. (Google at your own risk.)

Red onions are preferable for a reason I can’t remember, but I only had a white onion. I was going to use that, but it was actually moldy. 

Because I am so deeply dedicated to this article, I ran over to Kwik Trip in my Comfy and off-brand Crocs for another onion. This time, it was a yellow onion, because that’s all Kwik Trip had that I could purchase not in a bag of five.

I cut the 1.5 peppers and onion up as thinly as I could and divided them between two peanut butter jars and a pasta sauce jar I cleaned out. Once my eyes were stinging and tears were running down my face, I poured two cups of vinegar into a pot on the stove.

I added two tablespoons of sugar and a hefty sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt — it’s supposed to be kosher or pickling salt, but I own neither and have no intention of changing that — and let it come to a boil, stirring in the sugar and salt.

I took the pot off the heat and added two cups of cold water. According to my mother’s recipe, I should have then added in:

• 6 large cloves of garlic, cut in half and peeled
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon celery seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon dill weed
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

I don’t own most of those things, and I am a strong believer in my eyeballing abilities. So I added in:

• A heavy pour of garlic powder
• Way too much celery seed (it smelled kind of weird)
• Significantly more than ¼ teaspoon dill weed
• A firm sprinkle of red pepper flakes

I mixed the brine, then poured it into a measuring cup so I could distribute it into my jars without spilling too badly. I completely filled the large peanut butter jar and the pasta jar, but had nothing left for the smaller peanut butter jar.

I poured a cup (probably) of vinegar back into the pot, added a tablespoon of sugar and a less hefty sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt and brought the vinegar to a boil. 

I took the pot off the heat and added a cup of cold water and seasonings, then poured the mixture into the last jar. I secured the jars, gave them a good shake and only got a little vinegar in my hair.

The jars are currently sitting on my stove cooling down, and in about 20 minutes, I’ll transfer them to my fridge. It’s best practice to let your veggies soak for at least 24 hours, but I’ll probably give them a try in the morning.

Last time I made them, they were really good, which only reaffirmed my belief that I am above using actual measurements while cooking. I am confident that tomorrow morning will further instill that ideal in me.

While I wait, I’ll probably go buy an air freshener for the kitchen to get rid of the vinegar smell and wash my hands until they stop smelling like onions. I’ll also be on the lookout for the email from “Top Chef” that I’ll inevitably be receiving when this article goes live.

If you’re interested in a recipe with accurate measurements and time stamps, check out the pickle recipes by Once Upon a Chef or Taste of Home.

Price can be reached at [email protected].