Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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!
You May Also Like
- Pickled Red Onions
- Cucumber Salad with Mint
- Tzatziki (Cucumber & Yogurt Dip)
- Israeli Salad with Feta
- Panzanella Salad
- Blistered Shishito Peppers with Aioli
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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This is a prized recipe. I make batch after batch of these all summer. While they are best with cucumbers from your own garden or local farmer’s market, imported is just fine too. I was craving these and found Mexican cukes at a Korean grocery store today – hardly an hour of modest effort and now I’ve got four 1-litre deli containers pickling away. FYI that took about 4 lbs of cucumbers and double the rest of the recipe. You want the cucumbers packed in pretty tight so they don’t float. If you don’t have enough, by all means add spears of carrot, celery, bell pepper, green beans, or whatever you have that is not too strongly flavoured.
I made these exactly as the recipe called For Christmas gifts this year. EVERYONE loved them and I can’t keep them in my own refrigerator!!! They are really easy to make and so delicious! I’m making them every week now for my family
I have made several dozen jars of these pickles, and they’ve been great every time.
I put a fresh oak leaf, and half a dried California laurel leaf, in each jar, for the tannin (supposed to keep the pickles crisp). I don’t know if either of those methods actually works (depends on which article you read, as always), but it’s fun to go into the backyard and harvest them.
It’s also fun to experiment with various homemade vinegars. I’ve tried it with apple and apple/pear, with a batch made with strawberry/pear vinegar currently curing.
hi jenn, have you ever tried swapping the sugar with stevia or monk fruit? any thoughts on what i could swap the sugar with?
Hi Chris, I’ve never made these with any sort of sugar substitute so I can’t say for sure how they would turn out, but I think it’s worth a try. If you do try it, I’d love to hear what you think!
Personally, I omit the sugar. I enjoy both stevia and monk fruit, but sweetener isn’t necessary and I don’t think a sub would taste good. đŸ™‚
These were so good that I decided to use them as gifts for teachers and family and friends this year for Christmas! My 18 yr. Old grandson, who is a picky pickle eater loved them so I knew they would be a hit! The only change I made was I used pickling spice instead of the separate ingredients. I’m so excited to share them with my friends! Trust me they are gone in just a few days!