The art of pickling is enjoying a renaissance as more people realize we lost more than we bargained for by outsourcing all of our winter food needs to large corporate factories. Refrigerator pickles do not require rigorous sterilization, with refrigeration eliminating the chance of contamination that can make neophytes canners nervous. The same simple steps apply to pickling most any anything - Vinegar, salt, sugar and spices, heated then poured into jars containing your produce, and voila, you have saved a bit of summer to savor on a cold, grey wintry day. Those wanting to explore canning, should read "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving", written by the folks who manufacture those handy mason jars.