Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles
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Refrigerator pickles are quick and easy to make — no sterilizing jars or special equipment required.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
The kids and I discovered a jar of these homemade refrigerator pickles in my parents’ refrigerator one day, and since then, no deli or store-bought pickles have ever come close. They were made by one of my mom’s oldest and dearest friends, Joanne Biltekoff, who is like an aunt to me. The best thing about Joanne’s pickles is that they’re quick and easy — no sterilizing jars or special canning equipment required. All you do is slice Kirby cucumbers into spears, cover them with brine, tuck them into the fridge, and they’re ready to eat the next day.
What You’ll Need To Make Refrigerator Pickles
The most important part of the recipe is to start with Kirby or pickling cucumbers. They’re short, squat and sometimes full of warts, but they make deliciously crisp pickles. Don’t be tempted to substitute another kind of cucumber or you’ll end up with soggy pickles.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by making the brine. Combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Whisk in the cold water, then chill.
When cooking high-acid foods, be sure to use a cooking vessel made of a nonreactive material such as stainless steel, glass, ceramic or Teflon. Pots made from metals like aluminum, copper or cast iron will react with the acid and give your food a metallic taste.
Next, stuff the cucumbers into two 1-quart jars. Add the coriander and mustard seeds, garlic, red pepper flakes, dill sprigs to the jars, dividing evenly.
Cover the cucumbers with the chilled brine.
Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, then serve. The pickles will keep in the fridge for up to one month.
These pickles will disappear quickly and you’ll likely get requests for more. You don’t have to start from scratch. You can use the pickle brine more than once — it should last for another batch or two of pickles!
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Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Refrigerator pickles are quick and easy to make — no sterilizing jars or special equipment required.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups cold water
- 1¾ to 2 pounds Kirby cucumbers (about 6), cut into halves or spears
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 16 dill sprigs
Instructions
- Combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in a small non-reactive saucepan (such as stainless steel, glass, ceramic or teflon) over high heat. Whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Transfer the liquid into a bowl and whisk in the cold water. Refrigerate brine until ready to use.
- Stuff the cucumbers into two clean 1-quart jars. Add the coriander seeds, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, dill sprigs, and chilled brine into jars, dividing evenly. If necessary, add a bit of cold water to the jars until the brine covers the cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate about 24 hours, then serve. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Never buying another jar of pickles. Simple recipe with fantastic crunch and flavor! These won’t last long in my house. Thanks Jenn and Joanne for sharing this recipe.
I made these two days ago. I did 3 wide mouth jars. I made them as stated with the exception of adding a jalapeño to one of the jars for my husband. They are so good that all 3 jars are going to be gone before the sun rises tomorrow. Thank you for such a simple but wonderful recipe. I was lucky enough to have fresh dried coriander from my garden as well as dill so it turned out I had everything on hand to make them. This will be my go-to for using up our excess cucumbers. On another note… I happened upon your site while looking for this sort of recipe. WOW! I will be spending some time cruising around your recipes. Only wish I had found your page earlier!
Happy you’re enjoying the pickles and found the blog — hope you find lots of other recipes you like just as well! 🙂
Hi there,
I know you said the brine can be used for another 2-3 uses – but is the dill OK to last this long as well? It won’t turn / go bad?
Hi Becky, I’d probably discard the dill as its flavor is already in the brine.
I’m getting ready to try this out to use up our abundance of cucumbers. Are these a sweet pickle or more of a dill? I prefer a classic dill so I thought about reducing the sugar. Thanks! So excited to get going.
Hi Jenna, These are more of a dill; I think they’ll be too sour if you reduce the sugar. Hope that helps!
Wow, made pickles so many times, and they never turn out right, either too salty or off flavors.
Then I made these!! Amazing!!!! fresh and crisp tasting with subtle yet full flavor that won’t disappoint. Will make these for good now, no other recipes needed.
Excellent recipe, pickles are crisp and the flavor is perfect. So simple! Will only use this recipe from now on.
I found pickling cucumbers at my farmers market and gave these a try. They are fantastic and so easy. I don’t think I will ever be able to go back to store bought. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Once again Jen, your recipes are the BEST! I never made a pickle before in my life, LOL. Now my husband is spoiled, he will not eat store bought pickles. Thanks!??
Rebecca 🙂
😂
Would it be ok to use dried dill? If so, how much would you suggest? Eager to try these!
Thanks!
Sure, Steph — I’d suggest 2 tsp. dried dill. Hope you enjoy!
I think these would taste great, but the 3 tablespoons of salt is way to much. Is that a typo in the recipe? The brine was super salty, but I thought once it soaked into the cucumbers it would be ok. Nope, too salty to eat. I may have to throw these out unless there is some way to rescue them. I’ll give it four stars just because of the oversaltiness, though they otherwise taste really good and was pretty easy to put together.
Hi Monica, Sorry you found these too salty. Did you use kosher salt or regular? Either way, you can reduce the saltiness of the brine by adding more water and vinegar (in the same ratio as they are used in the recipe). Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn:
Should I also add to your recipe 1/4 tsp. per quart of BALL PICKLE CRISP GRANULES? It is calcium chloride used to keep pickles crispy.
Hi Debbie, I’m not familiar with the granules, but I don’t think they’re needed here. Hope you enjoy the pickles if you make them! 🙂
I have added a fresh grape leaf to mine each time to keep them crunchy. Luckily my neighbor grows grapes.
Same thing happened to me. I think someone sabotaged her recipe. 3Tbsp is way too much.
I’ve been making a simple but delicious version of refrigerator pickles for several years now enjoyed by my family and friends alike. Last month I made Jenn’s recipe just for comparison. At first, I was the only one who snacked on them. But after they gathered flavor for about a week, my wife and daughter tried one. They couldn’t stop at one! From now on I will make this recipe instead of my old one. Irresistibly delicious and easy to make!
Is this recipe safe to use for canning also?
Hi Melanie, Unfortunately, I don’t know for sure if it’s safe for canning, so I don’t recommend it. Sorry!