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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Hi Jenn,
I have made your pickle recipe several times (depending on availability of Kirby cucumbers in Canada) and everyone who tries them raves about them.
Do you have a similar recipe for refrigerator ‘sweet’ pickles (bread and butter pickles) in your recipe collection? Would love to try something like that too!
Thanks for your great collection of recipes.
Mike Mikitiuk
London, Ontario, Canada
Glad you like these, Mike! As of now, I don’t have a recipe for sweet pickles — sorry! I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
Mike following this thread! I am growing bush cukes for the first time this year. They were going great guns and I had hoped to make oodles of processed bread and butter pickles. Alas, Mother Nature intervened and I only yielded two pounds, which I used for this recipe.
Hi Jenn
I’ve made dills for 30 years the traditional way with just fresh dill, garlic cloves, and a brine with no sugar …
Can I use those same ingredients for this recipe?
Love all your recipes!
Hi Paula, I can’t really say it would work without trying it myself — sorry! If you do try it, please LMK how they turn out. 🙂
Part of my CSA contained pickle cucumbers so I decided to try this recipe. These were delicious and so easy.
My only question is that could I make these with dried dill instead of fresh?
Hi Josh, Yes, you can use dried if you can’t find fresh — you’ll need 2 teaspoons. Enjoy!
Two teaspoons per jar or one teaspoon per jar for a total of two? I only have dried dill and just want to confirm. Excited to make these as I grew pickling cukes for the first time this year. Thanks!
2 teaspoons total (so 1 tsp. per jar). Hope you enjoy!
I made these sliced up but didn’t add sugar in my mixture. The kids and adults ate both jars after 24 hours. Will definitely be making more!
Just made these for the 4th or 5th time. So much better than store bought – easy too.
These are the best! A very simple recipe, especially in the summer when cucumbers (and dill) are plentiful at the farmers’ markets. I followed the recipe exactly as printed. The pickles tasted just like my mom’s and brought back fond memories of helping her in the kitchen.
A simple and delicious recipe. My intent was to serve with lunch dishes but they disappeared shortly after opening! Will make again for sure.
These are a huge hit with us, our family, and all our neighbours! They’re constantly asking me to make more. Thanks for your recipes Jenn – they’re always outstanding.
You can add a variety if mixed vegetables to the pickling juice!
Best ever!!! This has been a staple the last 2 years with my homegrown cucumbers. I put 2 garlic cloves, 2 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. dill seeds, 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, and 1/2 tsp. peppercorns in each jar.
Do you add the sugar called for in the recipe? If so, are these a sweet dill pickle?