Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles
These quick refrigerator dill pickles are easy to make and require no special equipment! They’re fresh and crunchy, with just the right flavor of garlic and dill.
Several years ago I made a batch of refrigerator pickles with my friend Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks, and my life was changed forever. I was hooked! And I’ve been putting up a batch each year ever since.
These pickles are so fun and easy to make and require no other canning equipment besides glass jars to put them in. In my opinion they taste ten times better than pickles you can buy from the grocery store and the cost for each jar is less a dollar. These refrigerator pickles still have plenty of snap, with lots of great flavor from fresh dill, garlic, and spices.Â
What are refrigerator pickles?
“Refrigerator pickles” are cucumbers that are packed into jars with a boiled vinegar brine and stored in the fridge. After 1-2 days in the fridge the cucumbers have soaked up the flavors from the brine and spices and they are ready to enjoy! Refrigerator pickles will last for several weeks in the fridge, but are not shelf-stable like traditionally canned pickles and are not intended for long-term storage.
And don’t feel like you have to stick to pickling cucumbers! You can quick pickle just about any vegetable or fruit with this method. I have used this same brine and spice combination with carrots, beets, green beans, red onion, and cauliflower with delicious results.
How to make quick refrigerator dill pickles
The process is so quick and easy! You can easily make this a 30-minute project.
- Gather 6 clean glass pint (16 oz) jars and lids.
- Slice cucumbers as desired (wedges, slices, etc.) and pack into jars.
- Combine mustard seed, dill seed, and whole black peppercorns and divide evenly among the jars along with the fresh dill. If you want a little kick, add a dried thai chile.
- Add water and garlic cloves to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes.
- Add vinegar and salt and bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolved.
- Use tongs to pick the garlic out of the pot and divide among the jars.
- Pour brine into the jars, filling them to the top. Cover jars with lids.
- Place jars in the fridge and let them chill for 1-2 days before enjoying. It takes a few days for the cucumbers to soak up all of the flavors.
Ways to use these refrigerator pickles
My favorite way to enjoy these quick refrigerator dill pickles is straight out of the jar as a snack, but you can also layer them on sandwiches and burgers, or serve them as part of an appetizer plate. They also make great gifts! Whether for family or friends, or as something like a hostess gift.
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Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic , all heads peeled
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons dill seed
- 2 teaspoons mustard seed
- 2 teaspoons whole black pepper seeds
- 3 lbs kirby cucumbers , quartered
- 1 bunch fresh dill
Instructions
- Add garlic and water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add vinegar and salt and heat until salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Divide sliced cucumbers, spices, and dill evenly between the 6 empty pint jars.
- Scoop garlic out of the pot and add to the jars too.
- Use a ladle to spoon hot vinegar mixture into each jar, filling them almost to the top.
- Cover jars with lids and let cool. Store in fridge for at least 3 days before serving. Pickles will keep in the fridge for several weeks.
Notes
- If you don't have kirby or "pickling cucumbers", other cucumber varieties will work too.
- You can also replace cucumbers and pickle other vegetables like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, etc. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
- This recipe makes 6 enough pickles to fill 6 pint jars, but you can use whatever size jars you'd like.Â
Hi! We want to make these this weekend, but I actually have no idea where to find kirby cucumbers in Salt Lake. Where do you typically buy them?
Hi Emily! Pickles like this are definitely easiest to make in the summer when cucumbers are in season, and I usually get mine from the farmers market or stores like Smith’s or Harmon’s. This time of year Trader Joes or Whole Foods might be your best bet for small pickling cucumbers, but honestly, any cucumbers will work in a pinch if that’s all you can find. 🙂
Thank you!! It makes sense that they’re seasonal; explains why we couldn’t find any at Smith’s or Whole Foods, haha. We got some smaller “mini” cucumbers that we’re going to try it with this weekend!