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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Hi
Is there a way to make several jars and keep them over maybe 6 months and have them remain as half sour pickles ? I can not get the pickling cucumbers over the winter, would like to make and have them as half sours.
Thanks !
dibster
Hi, Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a way to keep these for 6 months. Sorry!
These pickles are wonderful! I’ve been making them using your recipe for years actually, but I actually just bothered to read the whole article (whoops) where you recommend reusing the brine to make more batches.
So I just finished eating a delicious batch of pickles, but they soaked up most of the brine, and now my pickle jar is only 2/3 full of brine. My question is, do you just add water to the remaining brine, or should I add other components like a bit of vinegar, salt, etc to balance it out? I hate the thought of bland pickles!
Anyway, thanks for the recipe, these pickles are far tastier than anything in the store and cheap to make too!
Glad you like the pickles, Will! Yes, I would add a little more vinegar, salt etc. to the brine as just adding water will dilute the flavor too much. 🙂
Oh my gosh! These are truly the best pickles ever! I will never buy pickles again! They are crunchy and have just the right tang. I love them.
I love these pickles and have made them many times. They don’t last at all in my house. We usually eat them within a week’s time. Just make a few jars and going to give a jar to a friend. I know they last a month, but is the dill going to be OK for that long?
Hi Sheila, So glad you like these! Yes, the dill will be okay for up to a month in the jars, but it’s fine to discard it after a week or so as the flavor is already in the brine.
These pickles were so delicious! I made 4 quarts and will certainly be making them again. I found them even better after 48 hours of curing.
Hi Jenn!
Just wanted to ask you why the pickles should be eaten in one month? I thought they would last longer since they are in brine. The pickles are delicious! Have received many compliments. Thank you for your all of your wonderful recipes.
Suzanne
Glad you like these, Suzanne! While they may last for a bit longer than a month they’re definitely at their best if eaten within that time. (These are not designed for canning.)
These were so good!!! So crisp and so flavourful. Everyone raved about them. I did try to make another batch using mini English cucumbers but they didn’t stay as crisp. I can only get pickling cucumbers in late summer : (
I loved the pickles. Never had these before. It is in my recipe collection. Tom
I made this pickle recipe but went the additional steps and canned them. The taste was far better than any store bought ones but canning them made the pickle a little soft. I added more garlic and they were very pronounced garlicky by the time I opened the jar a few weeks later. But I love that. Thank you!
Fantastic recipe and very simple to prepare. So much better than any refrigerated pickles at the supermarket.