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
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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 have tried and tried again to make good tasting, CRISPY, pickles. They always turn out limp and mushy. I was thrilled when I found your recipe! I could not wait to try them. Thanks to you I have found just what I was looking for! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you continue to send our way.
I crave these pickles all year round! My kids count down until they can eat them! They are better than any pickles in the stores. Make sure to use the Kirby cucumbers like she says though. Even though other cucumbers are still good, they are a little rubbery and don’t give you the crunch.
My son, who is a pickle addict and a pickle critic, loved the flavor of these pickles. Tangy and crisp!
Wow! Who knew homemade pickles could ever taste this good! Plus, they were so easy to prep. The hard part was waiting to taste them.
Oh, my gosh. Even if you think you have never liked dill pickles, you will LOVE these! They taste like real food rather than a slew of chemicals – you will never want to go back to store-bought ones again. They are crunchy and flavorful and having that big jar in the fridge at the ready feels like having money in the bank. We shopped for the various seeds and herbs at our local coop so we could buy just the amount needed, knowing that they would be super fresh.
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! This recipe! It has become a staple in my fridge, and I eat them all the time. My daughter loves them too, and I have now started making them for her to bring to college and she shares with her friends who all love them too! I have been asked by many people for this recipe and have passed it along gladly! So delicious! Thank you!
Delicious pickles and quick and easy recipe. A big hit with family and friends.
These are quick, easy and delicious!!! This is my go-to recipe.
We love these pickles!! The first day we were told we need to stay at home, I was looking for something to create in the kitchen and along came this recipe. I think that it just popped up like it was reading my mind. Delicious, easy and seemingly foolproof. They taste great added to sandwiches.
Thank you Jean,
Pam Morse
This is a FABULOUS recipe. It comes together very easily. The quality of the pickling cucumbers is critical. So, sadly you can only make them when you can find the right cukes.
I found that you could reuse the brine and add new cukes. They aren’t quite the same , but pretty good!