Homemade Refrigerator Pickles
Best Homemade Refrigerator Pickles Recipe: How to make pickles, no canning required! These perky crisp dill pickles make great sandwich toppers.
Homemade Pickles
Pucker up for the Best Homemade Refrigerator Pickles we ever tried! These zesty garlic dills are quick and easy to make, and also pack a punch of flavor.
It’s that time of year again. Fresh produce is in abundance. There is nothing better than fresh vegetables and fruit that have been allowed to ripen on the vine until they are at the peak of perfection.
Sure, nowadays you can (almost) always find whatever you want at the grocery store, but the flavor is not always there when certain types of produce are out of season. I notice the biggest flavor difference between tomatoes and cucumbers.
I love canning my produce, but on really hot days, who wants to boil large pots of water and steam up the kitchen? Not me.
Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
Our Best Homemade Refrigerator Pickles are a great solution.
You can make one jar or multiple jars of refrigerator pickles, and they are ready to eat after just one day of refrigeration.
Plus, our Best Homemade Dill Pickles are great at any cookout, picnic, or gathering.
Homemade Dill Pickle Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this recipe…
- Pickling Cucumbers – These are not regular cucumbers! Look for shorter cucumbers, with bumpy skin.
- Vidalia Onion – This is a type of sweet onion grown in Georgia. If you can’t find these, just go with a regular sweet onion.
- Fresh Dill Weed – You’ll know this produce item by its distinct aroma. It also gives these pickles their signature dill taste.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This has a mellow fruity flavor that melds well with the spices that go along with this recipe. (white vinegar works too!)
- Water – To fill the jar to the top.
- Garlic Cloves– You can’t go wrong with garlic!
- Pickling Salt – If you can’t find pickling salt, use kosher salt instead.
- Granulated Sugar – This balances the savoriness of the pickles but doesn’t overpower it.
- Whole Black Peppercorns – Whole black peppercorns are used instead of ground pepper for a milder taste.
- Whole Yellow Mustard Seeds – Super-small, yet these seeds are packed with bold flavor!
- Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust the spice level to your liking by adding more or less to your pickles.
How To Make Pickles
This dill pickle recipe really could not be more simple…
- Pack a clean pint-sized jar with sliced cucumbers, onion slices, and dill sprigs. Leave a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar for liquid.
- In a small saucepan heat the vinegar, water, garlic, and all spices until the mixture comes to a simmer and the salt and sugar dissolve.
- Cool the brine down to warm, and fill the jar so everything is covered with brine.
- Close the lid tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours before eating.
I use small pickling cucumbers with thick bumpy skin. They hold up well and stay crunchy. It doesn’t take too many cucumbers to fill a jar either; I was able to fit three 4-inch long sliced cucumbers in a pint-sized jar.
Zesty garlic dill pickles are my favorite. However, you can adjust this recipe to your own tastebuds to make it less garlicky or even sweeter.
Refrigerator Pickles
Another beauty of Homemade Dill Pickles is you can put them in any clean jar with a lid.
You don’t need to buy canning jars because you don’t actually can them. Simply pack the jars with cucumbers, a bit of onion, and dill. Then make the brine and pour it over the top. Then pop the pickles in the fridge.
If you are using unconventional jar sizes you may need to adjust the amount of brine to fill the jars you have.
It is also fun to cut the cucumbers in whatever shape you like.
I made long sandwich slices, spears, and crinkle-cut round slices. With a large enough jar and small enough cucumbers, you could leave them whole as well.
Have fun with it!
See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Homemade Refrigerator Pickles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do refrigerator pickles last?
Homemade pickles should last for two months in the refrigerator in their jar. However, the longer they sit, the less crunchy they become.
What are dill pickles made of?
The pickles themselves are pickling cucumbers soaked in brine (water, vinegar, and salt) mixed with pickling spices. As the cucumbers soak in the mixture, they are transformed into pickles.
What are the best pickles?
This question is easy, these pickles are the best! Obviously! They are homemade and simple to make. Knowing exactly what you are putting into your body is so empowering, especially when it tastes just as good if not better than store-bought.
What other vegetables can be pickled using this recipe?
If you are not a fan of cucumbers, consider using this pickle brine with green beans, cauliflower, bell peppers, or hot peppers.
Serve These Quick Pickles On…
- Grilled French Onion Steak Sliders
- Drowned Carnitas Party Sandwiches
- Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Frito Chili Cheeseburgers
- Best Ever Tuna Salad Sandwich from Simply Recipes
More Pickled Recipes
- Easy Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
- Perky Pickled Jalapenos
- Giardiniera Pickles Vegetables
- Quick Pickled Onions
- Amazing Pickled Watermelon Rind
- Pickled Eggs and Beets
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, sodium, protein, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.
Homemade Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pickling cucumbers, each about 4 inches in length, sliced evenly
- 1/4 cup Vidalia onion, sliced
- 3-5 sprigs fresh dill weed
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt, or kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Pack a clean pint-sized jar with sliced cucumbers, onion slices, and dill sprigs. Leave a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar for liquid.
- In a small pot heat the vinegar, water, garlic, and all spices until the mixture comes to a simmer and salt and sugar dissolve.
- Cool the brine down to warm and fill the jar so everything is covered with brine.
- Close the lid tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours before eating.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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HI Sommer,
I’ve been using your recipe and have made these half a dozen times…they are the best pickles!
I have a question as most recently; I made 2 mason jars and I’ve noticed the pickles have blue tinge or spots on them. One of the mason jars, I have not opened and some of the pickles have dark blue spots. Is this safe to eat? Do you know why this would happen?
Hi Rita,
So glad you like them!
It’s not unheard of for cucumbers and garlic to turn green or blue when you pickle them. It’s a chemical reaction to either the metals in the pot you used, or the metals in your water. It does not make them unsafe to eat. Enjoy your blue pickles!! :)
Hands down some of the best pickles I have ever had. They are still crunchy even after 24 hours in the refrigerator. They have sourness to them but it’s not overpowering to me they are perfect. I saw some comments talking about they were too sour, these are dill pickles not bread and butter pickles. For those of you who have never made homemade pickles this is where to start. Thank you for providing this recipe ❤️
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Love love these pickles! Thank you for sharing the recipe
Hello so excited to try! I was wondering if these were spicy at all with the peppercorn? I don’t do well with spice so wanted to see if I should skip that!?
Thank you!
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This is a great recipe, my fridge is full. I put some alum in mine everyone who has tried them just loves them. I used white vinegar in mine. Will be making these yearly. Thanks.
This is exactly how a kosher dill should taste! Easy to make, addictively good!
Can you eat the fresh Garlic or it’s only used for flavoring. Thanks
Hi Philip,
It is for flavoring, but yes, you can eat them!
This recipe is amazing!! I add a couple more garlic cloves and a little bit more sugar only because that’s how I like it. Everyone that I’ve given these to has RAVED about them ❤️ My coworker took the brine home and ate it on a cucumber tomato salad too!
I love this recipe. I was waiting to know if you have ever canned it for the pantry?
I had 2 english cucumbers left in the fridge that I knew I wouldn’t eat before they went bad. I cut them into spears and used this recipe. YUMMERS! I did not think they would turn out. I am addicted now! I did add about a tablespoon of hot chili-flavored honey to the mix for a bit of sweetness/spice. I am hooked. Thank you! I can’t wait to harvest my cucumbers to make more!
I made these 3 days ago and tried my first just now. They are very tasty. Thank you!
I have made these pickles several times and they are my favorite! I would like to give them to friends and family…can I can them as long as I follow all canning procedures?
We made these pickles with my kindergarten class. The kids had so much fun and there were delicious the next day. Reminded me of the pickles I made a kid. Loved the sour taste. Thank you for sharing! I will be making these again and again.
Can you reuse the brine, or do you have to make fresh each time?
Hi Linda!
You CAN reuse the pickling liquid! Usually, I use it 2-3 times before I start a new batch. After that, the cucumber juices have diluted it a bit. Hope this helps!
Do you have to put the sugar in? I don’t use sugar so I’m wondering if they’ll still turn out without it.
Hi Diane,
Adding a sweetener does balance out the tartness of the pickles… You can skip it and see what you think, or try adding an alternative sweetener.