Simple refrigerator pickles are the best and easiest-to-make pickles. With a fresh cucumber, garlic, pickle taste and ultimate crunch! Perfect for any burger, sandwich or snack! Refrigerator pickles will keep up to 4 months in their tart and sweet brine.
No Canning Required!
If you’re craving dill pickles, but don’t know how to can, or don’t own canning supplies, never fear! Simple refrigerator pickles deliver all of the components of the best dill pickles ever! Such an easy recipe, refrigerator pickles only require boiling the brine on the stove, slicing cucumbers, preparing garlic and dill, then storing all of this together in an ice cream pail in the refrigerator.
Another great thing about refrigerator pickles is that you can use up all of the odd shaped and sized cucumbers from your garden. I made another batch of dill pickles in an ice cream bucket at the end of summer when I picked every single cucumber. Some of the cucumbers were so tiny that they would make good gherkins but I used them whole and they were some of the best sweet dill pickles ever! For all of the other cucumbers that were big enough to be sliced, I just sliced them slightly thick, about 1/4 ” thick.
Why You Will Love Simple Refrigerator Pickles!
- No canning required!
- Crunchy, delicious cucumber pickles!
- Garlic and dill!
- Easy quick pickle recipe!
- Great to accompany burgers, sandwiches etc.
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When I Fell In Love With Refrigerator Pickles!
I have always made dill pickles the traditional way with a canner, a hot water bath, sealed lids, and proper sterilized jars. Then, 3 years ago, my garden went wild producing pickling cucumbers! This was wonderful and amazing and I’m not complaining at all.
After making dozens of jars of dill pickles, countless creamy cucumber salads and eating hundreds of fresh cucumbers, I needed another way to use cucumbers. Enter my friend Alana and her mentioning that she had made 3 buckets of refrigerator pickles! How? What? Where?
So, I found a recipe, and hesitatingly tried it! Oh my!! These refrigerator pickles are the best thing that has ever happened to me and my garden!
I now make up at least 2 buckets every summer! And needless to say, I have never had a single refrigerator pickle go bad.
I love dill pickles and anything dilly! Whether it is dilly carrots, pickled green beans, pickled zucchini, or pickled cucumbers, dill is a great flavor combination for so many fresh, vegetable sides. These pickles have an abundance of dill so totally satisfy that dill pickle craving some of us tend to get from time to time. 🤗
Variations
- For a spicy pickle, add red pepper flakes, cut up jalapenos, or black peppercorns.
- If you want a tarter pickle, use less sugar. You can use anywhere from only a tsp, up to the 1 1/2 cups in this recipe.
- Add some onion slices.
- Whole yellow mustard seeds are great to make a more bread and butter pickle taste.
- A pinch of celery seed can be used.
Do I need Jars For Refrigerator Pickles?
No, you do not need jars for this simple refrigerator pickles recipe! These sweet pickles are super just stored in an ice cream pail with a lid. Of course, jars work too, and any other glass or plastic container that doesn’t absorb flavors! I usually use ice cream buckets and then when they are half eaten, transfer the pickles to jars.
When Can I Start Eating My Pickled Cucumbers?
Ha, you know what, I start sneaking some refrigerator pickles the very next day after I make them! Of course, at this point they taste more like cucumbers soaked in a slightly sweet vinegar solution. Still yummy, but the flavor really enhances by about a week after making these pickles. Refrigerator pickles keep their crunch and taste just as fresh a month or longer after brining. So, make lots and enjoy!
The Best Cucumbers For Simple Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
The best cucumbers for pickles of all kinds are pickling cucumbers. There are many varieties of pickling cucumbers. The common traits of the best cucumbers for pickling are short, stubby, cucumbers with a firm flesh, great flavor, and usually have some type of spines. This article by Canned Nation has great details about choosing the right cucumbers:Best Cucumbers for Pickling
These refrigerator pickles are great in Dill Pickle Pasta Salad!!
Ingredients
- Cucumbers, use pickling cucumbers, scrubbed well, thickly sliced.
- Water
- Vinegar, can use pickling vinegar, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Salt, it’s important to use kosher salt.
- Sugar, this is a variable ingredient depending on how sweet you like your pickles.
- Dill, fresh is definitely best!
- Garlic cloves, roughly chopped, use as much or as few as you like.
How to Make Simple Refrigerator Pickles
1.In a medium saucepan, add the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar and heat over medium high heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved completely. Stir often while heating. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Slice the cucumbers into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick and place into an ice cream bucket or other container. Set aside.
3. Add the dill and chopped garlic to the bucket of cucumbers.
4. Once the brine has completely cooled to room temperature, pour it over the cucumbers, dill and garlic. Make sure the cucumbers are completely covered with brine. Put the lid on and place in the refrigerator.
5. Let them pickle for one week in the refrigerator for the best flavor. They will keep for up to 4 months.
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If You Love Pickles, You Will Love These Recipes!
Celebrate National Pickle Day on November 14th by making or eating some delicious homemade refrigerator pickles!!
Ingredients
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, add the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar and heat over medium high heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved completely. Stir often. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Slice the cucumbers into slices approximately 1/4 inch thick and place into an ice cream bucket or other container. Set aside.
Add the dill and chopped garlic to the bucket of cucumbers.
Once the brine has completely cooled to room temperature, pour it over the cucumbers, dill and garlic. Make sure the cucumbers are completely covered with brine. Place the lid on and put into the refrigerator.
Let them pickle for one week in the refrigerator for the best flavor. They will keep for up to 4 months.
Serving Size 1/4 cup
Servings 64
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 36kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Sodium 183mg8%
- Potassium 40mg2%
- Total Carbohydrate 8g3%
- Dietary Fiber 0.4g2%
- Sugars 7.5g
- Vitamin A 13 IU
- Vitamin K 21 mcg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Recipe can easily be doubled if you have an abundance of cucumbers.
- Makes great gifts, place in a wide mouth jar, tie ribbon around it🥰
- Do not peel the cucumbers before making homemade refrigerator pickles.
- Be sure to cut off and discard the blossom end of the cucumber to prevent mushy pickles!
- For a tangier pickle, reduce the sugar and add more vinegar. You can use as much as 1:1 vinegar/water ratio, and as little as 1 tsp of sugar in this pickle recipe.
