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Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles
These 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 door 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, a remarkable lady both in and out of the kitchen.
The best thing about refrigerator pickles is that they’re quick and easy — no sterilizing jars or special canning equipment required. All you do is slice the cucumbers into spears, cover them with a brine, tuck them into the fridge, and they’re ready to eat the next day.
What You’ll Need To Make Joanne’s 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.
How To Make Refrigerator Pickles
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.
The Brine can be reused
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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- Tzatziki (Cucumber & Yogurt Dip)
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- Grilled Salmon with Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad
Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickles
These refrigerator pickles are quick and easy to make — no sterilizing jars or special equipment required.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups cold water
- 1-3/4 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
- 1/4 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. Cucumbers 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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Excellent! Quick and easy and everyone loved them.
I have made these pickles many times & love them. Easy & quick.
Can I substitute dried dill for the fresh? If so, how much?
Sure, Maureen – I’d use 2 teaspoons dried dill. Please let me know how they turn out!
I’m going to try this out tomorrow, but I got a question-
Can I make this with whole cucumbers and not cut them into halves or spears? I’m talking about small gherkin cucumbers that I just bought today.
Sure, you can leave them whole; they may just take longer to pickle. Hope you enjoy!
So good! First time making refrigerator pickles and I tried this and one other recipe and this was the winner! Didn’t have mustard seeds so next time I’ll try it with the those but these were great.
Easy, easy, pickle recipe with lots of great taste! Lemony flavor of coriander seeds sets them apart. I can’t wait to make these in season with garden cucumbers. No preservatives and chemicals not to mention less sodium besides being more flavorful than store pickles. I used pure maple syrup instead of sugar.
I made these twice. First time I read the recipe wrong and used 3 tsp. Salt and they were delicious. Second time I used 3 Tbsp. and the batch was ruined. Way too salty! First time 5 star, second time 1 star.
Demeyere cookware is 3 ply aluminum and very good cookware though you say not to use aluminum. This essential pot, though exceptional, would not be good to use??
I wouldn’t recommend it, Rhonda — sorry!
Perfect pickles 24 hours later! Even better the longer they sit. I’ll never buy dill pickles from the store again. These are the bomb! One of the first recipes in her book! So excited!
I have made these pickles several times and everyone goes nuts over them! You are correct-I will never buy a jar of pickles again!
Outstanding pickles! Thank you for the recipe. I am wondering if they can keep longer than a month in the fridge?
Hi Deb, I think a month is probably the max. Sorry!
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.
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.
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!
These pickles taste exactly like the kosher dill pickles in the fridge section of the grocery store that I spend $5.99 per jar on. Now I know they are so easy to make at home and I can get four to five jars for the price of one store bought one. I reduced the kosher salt to 2 tablespoons and found the pickles well seasoned. I used all of the other spices as directed. I also made a batch of just lots of fresh dill and chopped garlic. Both types were very good. I did a batch of round slices and vertical slices to put on sandwiches and the cucumbers stayed nice and crunchy. Thank you Jennifer for sharing this awesome recipe!
I made these and took them to work and to say they were well received is putting it lightly. I pretty much have to bring a jar at least every other week now . Simply put best pickles ever.
I’ve made these pickles for the last Three years with fresh farmer’s market produce and everyone loves them! The recipe is simple and lends itself well to improvising. I’ve added fresh horseradish for example and more hot pepper to a few batches and they were delish too! Everyone wants a jar😊Thanks for sharing!
These were delicious, easy to make, and disappeared quickly. I’ll definitely make them again, but I have a question. The dill weed became less attractive and uninviting after the first few days (yet the pickles were still yummy!) and I thought about removing it from the brine (which would also make it easier to see how many pickle spears remained, and to fish them out) but I wondered if it would affect the flavor of the remaining pickles, or especially wondered if it would make the brine not reusable. Should I replace the dill if making another batch?
Hi Judy, glad to hear you like the pickles! Yes, I think you could get away with removing the dill and that the brine would still be good for a second batch. (I think the brine has soaked up plenty of flavor at this point so it shouldn’t be an issue.) Hope that helps!
Would recipe work as well if I left cucumbers whole, did not cut them in half? Thanks
Sure — keep in mind that it may take a bit longer for them to pickle if left whole, but it will work. Hope you enjoy!
OMG! The easiest best pickles! I have a feeling I’ll be making these all summer, glad I can use the brine for a second batch! They are delicious by themselves and great on sandwiches (I cut a few into planks just for sandwiches).
I am unable to find coriander seed, and I don’t want to have to order it online. Can I use ground coriander?
Sure, Nancy — I would use 1 teaspoon ground coriander. Enjoy!
Thanks I appreciate your prompt reply
Is that 1 tsp of Corianader per quart or divided between the the 2 quarts. The same question for using dried dill.
Tom
Hi Thomas, Everything should be divided between the two jars. Sorry for the confusion!
I have added a fresh grape leaf to the jar to preserve crunchiness. Luckily my neighbor grows grapes.
What if the brine doesn’t cover the cukes? Mine have been in the fridge overnight and they’re still not covered.
Hi Becky, the cucumbers should be fully submerged by the brine. If they aren’t, just add a bit of cold water to the jars until the brine covers them.
I’ve really enjoyed your recipes and when I saw these cucumbers at the store, I had to try this one. They tasted so fresh. I’ve never made pickles before!
Question: I love garlicky pickles so how can kick-up the garlic taste? Should I add more and chop? Crush them?
So glad you enjoyed the pickles, Mark! To up the garlic, you could add more peeled and halved cloves to the brine or, or for an even stronger garlicky taste, you could chop them. Hope that helps!
Well, I tried adding 3 chopped garlic and that was overkill. So I think your original recipe tastes the best!
Can this recipe be adapted to make a bread-and-butter pickle?
Thanks, have loved every recipe of yours I’ve tried!
Sure, Carol – you may want to increase the sugar. I’d love to know how they turn out!
When the pickles are all gone (because I’ll eat them so fast!), can you add a new batch of Kirby cucumbers to the existing seasoned brine to refrigerate or should I make up a whole new brine?
Hi Sally, Yep, you can use the brine again — it should last for another batch or two. Enjoy!
I don’t have jars. Can I use a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap?
Sure, Betty, any airtight container will work as long as the cucumbers are fully submerged in the brine. Hope you enjoy!
I am a HUGE OUAC fan and am working my way happily through the cookbook which I highly recommend. These pickles are amazing. There is never a time when I do not have them in my refrigerator. Many people have told me I should be selling them! I say, “not my creation”!!
Reading your review, and curious to know if they are really edible in just one day?
….of course…..another perfect recipe! For presentation sake, I suggest lining some of the dill on the outside of the jar, as you stuff the jar, as well as adding half the spices and garlic to the bottom of each jar, and half to the top.These will not last long!
Delicious snack. I made them and had to make more the next day, as they went so quickly.
You are my favorite chef, bar none, and I could review many of your recipes and give them five stars, but I chose this one because since I made these pickles for the first time, they have always been in my refrigerator. Always! Family members ask for them when they visit because they love them and know they will be there. I have not bought one commercial pickle since I started making these. I have also used the same brine to pickle carrots, peppers, and cauliflower. It’s just so easy, and the results are amazing.
Hi Jen,
Can you substitute table salt for the kosher salt? I notice you use kosher salt and sea salt in a lot of your recipes. Are they all interchangeable and if so are the measurements the same? I love your site and never get my recipes anywhere else. Yours always comes out fantastic and I know I can count on yours to taste fabulous the first time! Also I love how you “teach us in your recipes why we do something a certain way”. I also love your “text ingredients”. This is great because when I’m at the grocery store I know I have all the ingredients. Thanks for a great site and a great cookbook!! Denise Ksen-Smith
Hi Denise, Yes, you can use table salt here. And kosher salt and sea salt are interchangeable with table salt, but the measurements are slightly different; when a recipe calls for kosher salt (or another coarse grain salt) and you want to use table salt, cut the amount back by 1/3. And so glad you enjoy the recipes and the “text ingredients” function! 🙂
Best pickles ever!
These pickles were so easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly and my entire family loved them…even the child who claims that she “doesn’t like pickles”! The hardest thing for me was to find the Kirby cucumbers. In my opinion, they were essential to the success of the recipe.
Are you kidding me! These came out delicious. The taste reminded me of my childhood, when we would sneak into the cellar of my best friends house and eat all the jarred pickles his Mom had made. Delicioso!!
Hi Jenn-
I saw this recipe in your FABULOUS cookbook and I’ve always wanted to try it! My kiddos don’t like any sweetness in their pickles. Should I omit the sugar in the brine or is it even detectable when the pickles are ready to eat?
Thanks,
Mindy
Hi Mindy, They really don’t taste sweet; the sugar just balances the flavor. Maybe cut it in half?
I seem to have not too good tasting Brine. I used an old dutch oven pot to make the brine.
Hi Margaret, Dutch oven‘s are generally cast iron with an enamel coating on top. You mentioned your Dutch oven is old — is the coating wearing off at all? I so, that could impact the taste of your brine.
These pickles are the best! Will make them again and again. Used Kirby cukes. The skin seemed tough tho. Any suggestions?
Hi Barbara, I’ve never had that problem. May have just been the batch of cukes you got. I would suggest trying it again with new cucumbers (once these are used up) and you’re likely to have better luck the second time around
Wow! I was looking for a recipe to use some cukes that were given to me and I had to use them fast. They weren’t Kirbys but I peeled and seeded them, threw in a Poblano pepper and didn’t have mustard seeds. I did have fresh dill and dried pepper flakes. Followed the recipe and voila! I opened the jar after 4 days and they are so good. I was afraid they might not be crunchy but they are.
Hi Jenn! Your recipe calls for distilled vinegar. Can I substitute it with white vinegar? Can any other type of vinegar be used? Many thanks from your big fan.
White vinegar should work here, Olga. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks, Jenn! How about apple cider vinegar? (The first jar I made with white vinegar was gone in one evening)
Hi Olga, I’ve never tried these with apple cider vinegar, so I can’t say for sure – I’m sorry! I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them that way, though!
Hi Jenn, I’ve made them with apple cider vinegar (everything else was exactly as in your recipe). They turned out delicious. They have a more subtle taste than the ones with white vinegar, which I like (my husband loved them too). But my 8-year olds prefer your version. I will be making two jars now, one for adults and one for kids.
Wonderful tasting pickles! I’ve yet to dare change anything in your recipes because they all turn out great!
I only have canning salt can I use that?
Yes definitely!
Best dill recipe I’ve made in years (well, maybe forever!) I have 4 quarts in the refrigerator right now.
Can it be used to pickle lovely long green beans? TW
Hi Te, Glad you like these! I haven’t pickling other vegetables with this recipe, but I suspect it should work. Because green beans are so much thinner than the cucs, they will not need as much time to pickle. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
These were a big hit with my family – wanlted to see what they tasted like after a week in the fridge but they didn’t last that long. Will be making another batch to see if flavour potency increases with age.
🙂
Wow, wow, wow! So delicious! And I am a picky pickle person. For me the perfect balance of salty and just a hint of sweetness. I realized I didn’t have any coriander in the house so I omitted it and even without these are extremely tasty. (I did add a ton of dill because I had a surplus) Thank you for sharing!
Can you reduce the amount of salt? I’m on a low sodium diet and I love pickles but I can’t have the store bought ones. I’d like to make these, I’m just not sure about the amount of salt.
Yes, that’s fine Candi but I wouldn’t reduce too much or they’ll be bland.
This is a great recipe! Such a fantastic way to use bountiful southern Ontario produce this time of year. I’ve loved every recipe in your book so far!
Hi Jenn,
I’m trying to stick with a no-added-sugar diet. Your recipe sounds wonderful! Do you think I could omit the sugar? What other parts of the recipe might need adjusting? Thanks!
-Cathy
Hi Cathy, If you’re able to have a little sugar, I’d suggest cutting the sugar in half as it balances out the flavors nicely. While I’ve never made these without sugar, I think it can be done with no alterations. They may just be lip-puckeringly vinegary. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them!
Wow! Another winner Jennifer. I never would have believed that you could infuse that much flavor into those cucumbers in 24 hours. My grandchildren are coming to visit today and they’re going to love them. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Hello. A man here that grew up on Alot of garden veggies. That being said. I’m still a little confused. Is this also considered “fermenting” I understand the entire concept. But I hear conflicting information regarding safety of bacteria and mold etc. That can happen if not sealed right etc. Like in canning. I also see special fermenting lids which is not listed here. Can we clarify this please. Thank you!
Hi Ronnie, This is different than fermenting. They are not intended for canning, but will last up to a month in the fridge. Hope that clarifies!
Can you make the brine and just keep it in the fridge as needed? Using this recipe for 2 years and they are great. Would love to make up several batches of the brine and just keep it on hand as the cucumbers come out of the garden.
Sure!
Delicious! Made this with my pickle-loving grand daughter. It was fun and we could hardly wait to try them. She made labels for the jars and we posted our accomplishment on Facebook.
Extra brine we used with shaved red onions and made amazing pickled onions!
I have dill growing in my garden – but most of it is in heads now- can I use that? and if so, how much per jar?
Sure, Julie – amount should be the same.
I only have fresh dill head (seed). How much would you recommend to replace dill sprigs?
I’m not 100 percent sure, but my guess would be that you’d use around the same amount.
These pickles were the best ever! My daughter loves things extra spicy so we added a sliced jalapeno to one of the jars . . . delicious! I don’t think I’ll be buying pickles from the grocery store anytime soon!
Is the dry ingredients per jar or per the 2 guarts?
Hi Jesse, The recipe is enough for two jars. Hope that helps!
I searched several stores for Kirby cucumbers but never found them so I settled on small Persian cucumbers and hoped for the best. The only other ingredient difference was that I omitted the crushed red pepper. The pickles turned out great. My little girls finished one jar in an afternoon!
Jenn, these pickles are absolutely amazing! We love them so much that I just had to share the recipe on my blog – with full credit to you, of course! I feel as though my search is over for the perfect homemade dill pickle. And, btw, love your cookbook!
So glad you enjoyed them, Rosemary! I checked out your blog and it is lovely — your photos are so beautiful.
My friend made and brought these pickles to an Shakespearean outdoor play in Asheville, NC. I love pickles anyway but these are the best. she later sent the recipe and I made the pickles for the first time. Super easy and just as tasty as my friend’s! I have since turned by boyfriend on to Jenn’s recipes and we have since made the chicken pot pie and crustless broccoli quiche. I made a fan out of many non pickle lovers as well as anti broccoli folks through Jenn’s fabulous recipes! And of course I have preordered her cookbook!
I have a small-mouth quart jar – how much room should I leave at the top before popping these (covered) babies into the fridge? Thank you!
Hi Caitlin, you want the brine to just cover the cucumbers. If you need to, add a little cold water to get the cucumbers completely covered. Hope you enjoy!
Can you use ground mustard and coriander?
Sure, Jen. Hope you enjoy the pickles!
I’ve made several batches of pickles this summer. This was, BY FAR, the best recipe. I’m actually making them again today.
I did sub ground coriander and dill seed because that’s what I had on hand- and they were wonderful. Thanks for a great recipe!
Is there anyway to make these last longer than a month? Can you use the recipe as is, but then use a hot water bath to can it?
This recipe is not meant for canning, Allison. Sorry!
Super easy and deliscous … They way I like to cook. Had small batches of cucumbers coming from the garden and this was perfect. Much easier than canning a whole pile of cukes at once … Plus there’s no waiting to enjoy your harvest. The first quart was devoured the second we opened them. I’ve made this twice now in a week and will be my pickle recipe forever… I substituted mixed pickle spice for the coriander and mustard seeds, since that’s what I had planning to make canned pickles, and it worked great.
Excellent recipe. Thanks.
I was looking for a refrigerated dill pickle recipe and found your recipe. I made them last week and the pickles are great. They have a nice fresh taste and are better than other recipes. I will definitely make them again.
Trying to fix my batch of pickles before throwing out all my hard earned cucumbers. I made these as directed and they are really, really bad. There is a strange aftertaste that I can’t even name. Any ideas?
Sorry they didn’t turn out, Julie. Any chance to used a reactive pot (such as aluminum) to make the brine? That would lend an unpleasant metallic aftertaste.
Could be the coriander. Coriander is the same thing as cilantro. So, if you don’t like cilantro, that could be the taste you are picking up on.
Just a comment for Jenn. Sometimes the cucumbers themselves can be bitter. I always taste a slice first before pickling them. Also, now live in a country where pickling cucembers aren’t readily available. I use thinly sliced English cucumbers — it’s not the same, but still delicious.
My husband loves dill pickles and he devours these! I even use this recipe on zucchini. Not quite the same as pickles but still really good when you have way too many zucchini
This is the tastiest and easiest recipe I have found for refrigerator pickles. They are crisp, delicious and make great gifts. They are best using just picked cucumbers.
I live in Mexico, where the crunchy, savory, seasoned dill pickles of my childhood are simply not a thing. It never occurred to me that they would be possible to make, however, until I stumbled upon this recipe. I have made this recipe over and over again without changing a thing about it, and I’m hooked – better (and far cheaper) than the grocery store variety any day. And endlessly shareable – everyone who has tried them has demanded the recipe from me. Great work!
WOW!!! I thought I loved pickles, but after making a few batches of these, I can’t stand regular supermarket dills!
These also got rave reviews at a potluck. I couldn’t keep track of all the people who asked me for the recipe.
Hey there! I made these before and they were amazing!!! I’d love some for the fall and winter months do you know how to can these? Do you need special tools? Thanks!!!
Hi Lindsey, so glad you enjoyed them! Unfortunately, these pickles are not intended for canning– sorry!
I asked Google, but didn’t find the answer: What is a sprig of dill? Is it the whole piece or is each little branch a sprig? Thanks for your help. I prepared this last night, but I am not sure if I used enough. Thanks for providing so many reliable recipes!
Hi, A spring is one “branch.” Hope you enjoy the pickles!
These are the absolute best pickles I have ever had. I’ve tried to make a few recipes over the years the old fashioned canning way, and they were a mushy mess. I’m now 4 months pregnant and make these refrigerator dills once a week. Haha. My husband and 3 year old love them and routinely ask for them. I also have made them for my office and my neighbors and everyone goes nuts for them. I omitted the sugar and add a sliced jalepeno. The jalepeno doesn’t add much spice at all, just another flavor dimension. Love the whole coriander flavor but the seeds can be hard to find, Whole Foods has it for surprisingly cheap. Please do yourself a favor and make these!!
These look delicious! I love dill pickles! Have you ever tried fermenting them? Not a quick process, but so yummy.
I haven’t Rhianon – sorry!
Great pickles. Soooo easy. Will be serving them on Thanksgiving in a relish tray. Though I hate to share. lol
I love this recipe and so does my family. And so do our friends. Ever since I started making them, I get requests from people to please, please bring a jar when we visit. The recipe is incredibly easy and it truly takes little time to whip up a batch. For our home I double the red pepper flakes as we do like spicy here. But I bring the original recipe to others!
I have no experience with canning & wanted to try to make my own pickles since someone had a garden & brought in small fresh cukes. I didn’t have corriander, & I love pepper so I substituted with peppercorns. The hardest part was waiting to try & boy were they delicious!! I will never buy store bought again. Thanks so much:)
Hello and thanks for the great recipe, I am super excited to start. I do pickles every year but wanted to try something new. I have about 27 pounds, is it ok to quadrupole the recipe and can I leave the pickles whole or do I have to cut them? Thank you!!!
Hi Shannon, It’s fine to quadrupole the recipe and leave the pickles whole; they may just take a bit longer to pickle.
Hi Jenn!
Can you use regular table salt instead of kosher salt and if so is it the same amount? What is the difference between kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt in recipes?
Thanks!
Denise
Hi Denise, yes you can use table salt here in place of kosher salt. I would cut it back to 2 tablespoons. And all the varieties of salt you mentioned taste the same; the texture and the size of the grains are what distinguishes them. You can read more about it here. Hope you enjoy the pickles!
First of all thank you to Jenn for this amazing recipe. I too am a classically trained chef and mom now cooking for my family. Unfortunately I never got to cook in the fancy restaurants…..yet! Lol
Anyhow, I love, love, love this pickle recipe. Not only do I love it but but I made the mistake of sending pickles to work with my husband for the ladies in admin. Every day he comes home telling me stories of how much everyone loves them and now I am being begged to make more. So I made another double batch this morning for my family and my hubbies work family. I actually grow cucumbers and use those. I have been using lemon cucumbers and oh my gosh they are the best pickles I have ever had and everyone who has had them says the same. Thanks again for the wonderful recipe, it will be passed along and down to the kids! 🙂
Made these today. Halved the sugar, omitted the garlic and red pepper flakes and added peppercorns. Delish and so easy!
These are delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
This was an awesome recipe to make quick dill pickles. I grow my own dill and coriander and it all came together beautifully. My daughters ate 2 jars the day after I made them. I used Northern Pickling cucumbers that I grew from seed (Johnnys Seeds) and they were crunchy and delicious. The only thing I changed was rather than add red pepper flakes, I took a jalepeno from the garden and split it in half. One for each jar. And I ended up with a delicious dill pickled jalepeno. Thanks for this great recipe.
This is our new family favorite pickle recipe. I used the pickling cucumbers, dill and green beans I grew in my garden for the first batch. And, I didn’t have coriander, so just used the other spices. My son loved them so much that he said he has to change his answer to what food he would take if stranded on a desert island – “my mom’s” pickles. 🙂 Thanks for making me look so good!
I made these pickles 4 days before the 4th of July. Served them on the fourth to family and friends and they raved about them and they were gone in a second. They are now my dill pickle go to recipe….no need to try any others. Can’t wait to make more.
I’m about to make these tomorrow and just wondering if I can use other vegtables as well? Also what would make it a little spicy?
Hi Candace, Yes, you can definitely use other veggies. Some good options are green beans, bell peppers, celery and cauliflower. And if you want to spice things up a bit more, you could double the red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Hi, can I make the brine a day ahead and add to pickles the next day?
Definitely- hope you enjoy them!
These are the absolute best dill pickles that I have ever eaten !!! They are flavorful, crisp, and addictive. I have now made 4 batches at the request of my family and they are clamoring for more. I would say however that I bought organic coriander and mustard seeds and it was a substantial improvement in flavor. Thank you for the great recipe.
I read your website regularly, and came across this recipe when I was looking for an alternative to my usual fresh dill pickle recipe. I have never had such delicious dill pickles….ever! You do have to have the pickling cucumbers….that is a must. In France I grew their “cornichons” in my garden, but I let them get bigger than the French people use them. They are the same type of cucumber as the Kirbys, and they always stay crisp. However, it seems to me that there is something special about this recipe. It is probably the ratio of water to vinegar (I think I used to use 50-50) and also chilling the brine before pouring it over the cucumbers. Whatever it is….I love them!!!
Excellent recipe! I brought these to a cocktail party and they were gone in less than 15 minutes. The only question I have is that I’ve read it is important to cut the blossom end of the cucumber because there’s an enzyme in the blossom that can make the pickle soft.
Made these for the first time yesterday and had to leave a review. If you like garlic dill pickles, make these! They are nothing but fabulous. I doubled the recipe but didn’t double the garlic and they’re still plenty garlicky. I’m super impressed by how easy this recipe is with such wonderful results. Thanks so much for posting. I have already shared the recipe AND the pickles!
can you substitute dried coriander and dry dill in place of fresh? Have not made the recipe yet but was wondering about substituting dried herbs. Would also wonder how much to use if substituting.
Hi Cathy, Sure that should work. I would use 1 teaspoon ground coriander and 2 teaspoons dried dill. Please let me know how it turns out.
Used the dry ingredients and the pickles were wonderful…thanks for sharing the recipe.
Fabulous recipe!!! Absolutely delicious! Question.. Can I reuse the brine? If so, for how long? Thanks!
Hi Emily, Yes, you can use refrigerator pickle brine again — should last for at least another batch or two.
Rave reviews from everyone who ate them! You’re right – they get gobbled up well before the one-month mark. Thanks for the recipe!
Now you’ve done it. I just picked my first quart of kirbys for the year, not exactly enough to start a traditional kosher fermented batch. So I looked for a refrigerator recipe and found yours. The reviews looked great and I had everything on hand, so I made them. Then today after opening the jar to try one, I lost all control. I ate half a quart of pickles in 5 minutes. I just put the pickle jar in a brown paper bag and pushed it to the back of the refrigerator so I can’t see them. I can and eat a LOT of pickles of all types…these are the best I have ever had. Even worse they’re SIMPLE to make. Now I’m stuck at the house and forced to leave the jar alone so my lovely wife can have some. I’m already having anxiety over what’s going to happen in winter when I can’t have these! (Shudder)
I love those glass jars. What is the brand name? Can’t wait to make these.
Hi Julie, I don’t remember the brand name but I got them at Whole Foods 🙂
See http://www.weckjars.com
I think that’s the type of jar. Lots of really unusual shapes on the site.
very good recipe. No changes needed but I cut pickles in half instead of spears with great results.
These are the best made them for the first time last summer and they would get ate as fast as I could make them. Now our local farmers market is open again. So I’m back in pickle heaven.
My husband is a pickle snob. He only wants to buy Bubbies at Whole Foods, but they are really expensive. These are even better and I can make the quantity I like.
Just got a box of cucumber and would like to slice them and pickle only got dill seed so tell me a easy way to do this
Hi Cathy, As long as you have all of the other ingredients, I think they should still be good.
Can I use Mini cucumbers instead? I could not find pickling or Kirby cucumbers at the store. If so, should I keep them whole. I think they are Persian cucumbers but not sure.
Hi Danielle, You can use Persian or mini cucumbers (I would still slice them in half) but they may not be quite as crisp and crunchy as Kirby cucumbers. Please let me know how they turn out.
I had an over abundance of homegrown pickling cucumbers in my community garden plot. Thankfully they didn’t all ripen at the same time. I made batch one last weekend. They are the best darn pickles ever. The red pepper flakes add a subtle heat. My mom doesn’t like spicy or hot but she loved them. Neighbor loved them. I have shared the recipe many times already after my friends saw the pictures on facebook and instagram. I linked them back to your website. Making batch two now and will leave red pepper flakes out of a few jars. I was out of fresh coriander seed for batch one and the pickles still came out fine. This batch will have the coriander seeds.
I was asked for a good recipe for bread and butter as well as sweet pickles (one of my friends said they are different then bread and butter). Do you have a quick refrigerator recipe for any of them?
So glad you enjoyed the pickles, Lori — and thank you for spreading the word about my site! Unfortunately, I don’t have recipes for bread and butter or sweet pickles but I will add them to my list. Stay tuned 🙂
to Lori-
try this Bread & Butter recipe it is not refrigerator- but still pretty easy
Here is the basic Bread & butter pickle recipe I use
15 c sliced pickling cucumbers
2 onions thinky sliced
1/4 cup course salt
4 cups cracked ice
2 1/2 c cider vinegar
2 1/2 c sugar
3/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 T mustard seed
1. clean your cucumbers slice them and the onions & let them sit in salt & ice for 3 hours
2. Mix well
3. Put a weight & let sit for 3 hours
4. Drain well
5. Combine vinegar, sugar, tumeric, celery seed & mustard seed
6. Add drained cucumbers
7. Place on medium low heat- bring almost to a boil but don’t boil
8. I boil jars for 10 minutes to process
Lori, the very best B&B refrigerator pickle recipe I’ve found is Alton Brown’s B&B recipe. Google it. They last far longer than what the recipe recommends. I made my last batch in October 2015 and in April or May they were still as good as when I first made them.
Recipe is simply amazing. I compared a few others and this was the hands down winner.
Question- Can I can these? I know I need to sterilize the jars and following canning processes, but is there anything I need to do to the recipe itself?
Hi Paul, So glad you enjoyed the pickles! Unfortunately, the recipe will not work for canning.
is there anything I can do to modify this recipe so I can can it. I have a lot of cucumbers and I can’t make refrigerator pickles out of all of them 🙂
Hi Paul, To be honest, I don’t have a lot of experience with canning but my main concern is that most canned pickle recipes call for a brine with a 1:1 water-vinegar ratio. I believe that is necessary to make the pickles shelf stable. This recipe is much less acidic with almost a 2:1 water-vinegar ratio. For me, that’s what makes these pickles so good; they aren’t overly sour like so many others. So, unfortunately, if you change the brine, the pickles will taste much different.
Is it possible to use this recipe and can them instead of using them just in the fridge? If so, would I need to change anything about the preparation and/or ingredients?
Hi Leah, Unfortunately, the recipe won’t work for canning. Sorry!
I made two quarts of refrigerator pickles (another recipe) last week, and tried them today….I was extremely disappointed in their bland flavor. I dumped a bunch of seasoning into those jars today and went on a search for another recipe to try….
I found this one through Pinterest, and immediately saw that it had more seasoning and vinegar than the other recipe I’d tried. So I used a 2 quart bail and toggle jar from Ikea and put everything in one jar today.
(I don’t usually have pickling cucumbers on hand, but I went to the Farmer’s Market and canned some bread and butter pickles yesterday, so I had the leftovers to use.)
I didn’t have fresh dill on hand, so I used 4 tsps dried dill leaves. I calculated 1 tsp per four fresh strands in the recipe.
When I open the refrigerator, I shake the jar and put it back. I can hardly wait to open it, but I’ll wait a couple days to let the flavors permeate. I’ll report back!! 🙂
They turned out very well!! In fact, there are only a few left! Using the dried dill worked fine, but since the little leaves stick to the spears, I think you get a little more dill flavor than you would using fresh dill. If you aren’t a huge fan of dill, you might want to reduce the dried dill just a little when you make it.
I’ll be making this recipe again! 🙂
Excellent recipe…we put of 9 quarts of pickles and I tried on less than 24 hrs. later and Wow !, it was already good and I can only imagine how much better they will taste in a few days…Very easy recipe too….
This summer, I grew cucumbers and dill in my garden. So, I thought I’d try making pickles of course.
I’ve never done this before so I was a bit apprehensive. I think the hardest part was waiting for 24 hours for the cucumbers to marinate, or whatever cucumbers do!
I was really surprised! These are really, really good!
I have a date this Friday and I am going to give her the gift of pickles 🙂 (Heck with flowers!)
We love this recipe! These are now our favorite dill pickles! Thanks!
I LOVE these pickles! I’ve made them several times. Since we live in Mexico, we have to many foods from scratch. I’ve been using small whole Mediterranean cucumbers instead Kirby and they are SUPER crunchy. In my most recent batch, I bumped up the red pepper flakes to 3/4 tsp. and used minced garlic instead of cloves just to amp up the flavor. They are a favorite of the whole family! The hardest part is waiting for a WHOLE day to taste them. Thanks for such a great recipe. 🙂
Looked at loads of these types of recipes and cannot see how long they will last on my shelf in the pantry…do they have to go in the fridge? If so
Why are the ones on the supermarket shelf any different
Hi Andrea, These are quick refrigerator pickles, and they do need to be kept in the fridge as they aren’t properly canned (using sterile jars, etc.).
Im pregnant and craving pickles. I’m so glad that I found this recipe! Doing this today!!
This is on my to-do list now! I am still tweaking my own pickle recipe. I do prefer to use rice wine vinegar but it gets expensive quickly. Thanks for this one!
KD-
We buy rice wine vinegar by the gallon from Amazon- much cheaper than the small containers!
I finally got around to making these two days ago and had my first one today, all I can say is OMG! These are wonderful! I have never made pickles and I am just shocked at how simple this recipe is. Thank you soooo much. This will satisfy my crunchy salty craving! Much better for you than a bag of chips!
Yummy! These are DELICIOUS!
I made these the other night and OMG – absolutely addictive, easy & delish. I used chipotle pepper flakes (I was out of the regular ones), which added a slightly smoky flavor, and recommend that as a variation if you like chipotle. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe – it’ll be in regular rotation here.
Love that idea. Thank you!
Since receiving this recipe by e-mail from Once Upon a Chef, I have made 12 jars of these pickles. They disappear as fast as I make them!!! I sent some to both my mother and my brother, and then sent back their jars with a request for MORE. The frst time I made them, I didn’t have whole coriander or mustard seeds on hand, so I used ground of each (1 tsp. of each). Also, I reduced the sugar by 1 T. Still delicous. Since then, I’ve experimented with different variations….adding chopped red onions to the jars, eliminating the red pepper flakes, adding black peppercorns. The base recipe is SO good that it’s easy to substitute and still come out with a crave-worthy pickle. I’ve got four more jars in the fridge right now, and I’m sure they’ll be gone by the weekend!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
I had no idea making pickles at home could be so quick and easy. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these with my granddaughter a couple of weeks ago. I was excited to find a refrigerator pickle recipe and she was excited that we were making them. After letting them sit in the fridge a few days I added more sugar. The next time I will probably cut back on the vinegar, replace it with water and add more sugar. They were great!
I made these with my grandchildren and it was so quick and easy!! Great pickle recipe!! Even my grandchildren loved them!!! WOW!Thanks for sharing!
These pickles are amazing. I may never buy pickles again. Super easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!
I just made these 2 days ago and they are FANTASTIC! My adjustments: since I like garlic (the more the better) I added an additional clove each jar. I also doubled the sugar (which you can’t even taste). These pickles remind me of NYC deli pickles. Yum!!!
My fiance and I are both huge pickle fans – I’ll definitely have to try this for sure! They keep such a lovely green hue!
I am inspired! My daughter loves this type of pickle, so I will try it. Thanks for the recipe and the information on the pretty jars.
A really easy way to make dill pickles… If you have purchased a jar and eaten all the pickels…save the brine/juice, cut up cucumbers and place in the jar. After a few days…voila!!
Great suggestion, Barbara. You can also do the same with these. Once the pickles are gone, simply cut up more cucumbers and stuff them in the jar. They’re ready in 24 hours!
These were awesome! I now have 2 empty jars and 2 more pounds of cukes! If I was to use the same brine over, do I stick with the “use within one month” timeframe? Using the date on the original jar of pickles and brine?
Hi Katie, Yes, that’s correct. So glad you enjoyed them!
thanks for the recipe. I have made regular pickles before but my busy life prohibits that. I have heard of refrigerator pickles before but never tried to make them. I will now. I love pickles!
thanks
Oh I love pickles! Thanks for the idea!
ahh i LOVE pickles! Thanks for the great idea! would be great to serve as a side for a sandwich.
Aunt JoJo’s pickles are the BEST!!! Claussen beware!
What kind of jars are you using and where did you get them?
Hi Sarah, I got the jars (by WECK) at Whole Foods.
Beautiful pics! Makes you just want to crunch right into one of them.
I make pickles all the time. Love my bread and butter ones and also dill. Will definitely try this recipe.