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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Fantastic recipe best pickles ever ! Made these with my granddaughter we did 3 quart jars ( I had a ton in my garden) we added extra pickling spices for hot ones – seriously could have sold these !
Fantastic pickles! I used 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 white distilled vinegar. Came out fantastic.
Really a great recipe!! I added a little more sugar because that’s what I like. I tried so many and this one is the best!! Thanks!!
I just started pickling and canning a few years ago and so far have not had a lot of luck achieving crispy pickles. I have tried multiple techniques and additives with little success. While the long term storage of traditional canning is nice, everybody I give them to wants to eat the pickles now anyway. I tried 2 batches of traditional vs these refrigerator ones. THESE were fantastic. So flavorful and crispy. I was very excited and will probably never go back to the traditional method. Not to mention, I did 8 jars in under an hour. LOVELOVELOVE 🥒
1/4 tsp of alum for every 2 cups of brine keep them crisp
Have you ever tried canning this recipe? If so, how long did you boil at the end?
I made 12 pints of this recipe as it was published. I gave 1/2 to my daughter. My son-in-law took a jar to work with him and shared them. Now I have to make more because all of his co-workers want to buy them!
I have a full bushel of cucumbers. I made these last weekend and they were the best ever! ….. So the question is do I triple the recipe or keep making more brine?
Your response is greatly appreciated.
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Can I reuse the brine after all pickles are eaten ?
I did and they tasted just as good:)
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope they will like it.
Pickles are my guilty pleasure. lol
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I make a batch of these at least once a week and all my friends and family absolutely love them. This is the best pickle recipe that exists. Has anyone tried killing them? I would like to get some longer shelf life out of them
I grew cucumbers this year (only thing I grew lol) and just used this recipe with some fresh out of the garden! I followed the recipe exactly and I think it turned out really tasty! Thank you!
I do water bath pickles and so easy. Make your brine and no need to heat. Just stir until dissolved and pour over pickles. I prefer spears and packed tight. Set into water, coming up to shoulder of jar. Heat to boiling.
urn off heat and let sit 1 minute than remove jars. After 5 minutes turn jars upside down and let set until cold before removing jar rings. They always seal this way. My brine for sweet dills is 1 cup sugar, 1cup vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 2/3 cup water. Double recipe as needed. Can also use this recipe for pickling beets, green or yellow beans (precooked) It is called Pickling Brine For Everything.
These pickles are insanely good! You’re right—they really are the BEST homemade refrigerator (or any other kind) pickles! Will be recommending to everyone!
Hi! Omg these pickles are amazing!! Am I able to can them so they can be shelf stable in my pantry? How long would you recommend they’re heated for?
Thanks!!
I don’t have fresh dill. Can I use dried?
Hi Laura,
Yes, you can! Generally you use 1/3 of the amount when converting fresh herbs to dry.