Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles
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Refrigerator pickles are quick and easy to make—no sterilizing jars or special equipment required. Perfect with burgers, sandwiches, or straight from the jar.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
The kids and I discovered a jar of these homemade refrigerator pickles in my parents’ fridge 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 canning supplies or sterilized jars needed. Simply slice Kirby cucumbers into spears, cover them with brine, tuck them into the fridge, and they’re ready to eat the next day.
“For the first time, I grew pickling cucumbers and found your recipe to make pickles. I can’t believe how wonderful they are!”
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
Step 1: Make 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.
Pro tip: 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.
Step 2: Fill the jars. 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.
Step 3: Add the brine. Cover the cucumbers with the chilled brine. If needed, you can add a bit of cold water to the jars until the brine covers the cucumbers.
Step 4: Refrigerate. Cover the jars and let sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, then serve. The pickles will keep in the fridge for up to one month. Enjoy!
Pro tip: These pickles disappear quickly. If you’d like to make 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
No canning, no fuss—just crisp, tangy pickles you’ll want to eat with everything!
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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I’m surprised at how good these are! One of the best things I’ve made this year. I say made lightly; the hardest part was slicing cucumbers. I added extra red pepper and a jalapeño. These pickles are excellent. Thank you for the recipe!
I made these yesterday and they are AMAZING Jen!! It hasn’t even been 24 hours since making them and there are hardly any left… we couldn’t even let them sit to pickle for 24 hours! This will be a staple in our fridge. Great flavor and so easy to make. Thank you for sharing your greatness with us. Been spending the last few weeks on your website making all sorts of greatness 🙂
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is it 2 tbsp. of coriander for each jar. or divided between the jars. i assumed it was divided because of the garlic. 3 for each jar
Yes, all of the ingredients are divided into the two jars. Hope you enjoy!
Could I can these in a water bath like regular canned pickles so they last longer in storage?
Hi Hallie, this recipe wasn’t developed with canning in mind so I don’t know that it would be safe — sorry!
can we use Himalayan sea salt?
Hi Camille, I think should be fine. Enjoy!
I’m diabetic. Would removing sugar greatly affect flavor?
Unfortunately, I think the pickles would be too sour without the sugar — sorry!
Can you substitute a diabetic sugar for regular sugar.
Hi Dorothy, I’ve never used a sugar alternative here so it’s hard to say for sure, but I think it’s worth a try if you’re willing to experiment! Please LMK how they turn out if you try it. 🙂
I just made some with monkfruit sweetener. Monkfruit has zero net carbs and does not raise your blood sugar. The pickles came out fine!
Is it possible to use mini English cucumbers cut in spears for these pickles?
Sure – Hope you enjoy!
Delicious! After tasting, I decided to add an additional Tablespoon of sugar. The result did not taste sweet at all, just more balanced IMO. Halfway through the jar, I added fresh okra to refill the jar…also delicious.
These are good and very easy to make. I do, however, have two suggestions.
1. Wait a few days longer before eating them. After three days mine just tasted like cucumbers in brine. After another week they were proper pickles. (And thanks again, Jenn, for your reply to my question.)
2. Make some extra brine. I ran out on my second jar and topped it up with water. These were still good, but not as tangy as the first one.
I’ll be making these every year. Much less fuss and more reliable results than the traditional method.
I’m a dill pickle lover and these are DYNAMITE!! It is great that the pickles aren’t processed and that they stay so crunchy. Jenn, I used dried dill weed and they turned out amazing. I also used the cucumbers that were growing in my garden, not Kirby ones … Still fantastic. Just waiting for my next little garden haul to make more. Thank you!!
They are just wonderful. My husband has a little plate of them every evening. No more supermarket pickles for me.
Maureen H – London – November 2020.
These are fabulous and super easy. My sister made them too and her husband (a pickle guru) loved them and so did our dad! Great flavor, crispy & fresh tasing.
Thanks, Jenn! These are so great! Made them yesterday morning and they were ready for today’s lunch. No chance they’ll last a month in the fridge, but I can always make more. So very simple and so delish!
I can’t say enough about these pickles! My family finished them off in a day. Thanks Jen!