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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These are our “go to” pickles. They are delicious! If I have left over brine, how long can I store it in the fridge? Thanks
Glad you like the pickles! The brine should last for about 3 weeks in the fridge.
I don’t usually comment on recipes I try. Not because I don’t want to leave feedback, but because life is chaotic and I don’t generally think about it.
These pickles have ruined me for store bought pickles. They are so delicious! I will definitely be making them again, and again, and again!
Husband said they are the best pickles I’ve ever made!
Best ones I have made so far! So crunchy with a nice little kick. Left them in for a little over a week and they were perfect!
Hi there, the Kirby’s are hard to find sometimes but when they have them, they are really tasty.
I’d like to use thick pickle slices, like pickle chips.Will this recipe work with regular or English cucumber slices? Thanks.
Hi Mark, Sure, this will work for pickle chips (and I’d stick with Kirbys).
I receive pickling cucumbers from my CSA each year but had never made pickles. I tried this recipe – mainly because it seemed so easy. They came out delicious – and they were ready in 24 hours. Highly recommend
Jen, these are my daughter’s favorite pickles! I can lots of pickles every year which we all love, but had a few pounds of cucumbers left to use up at the end of the season in September. I made your refrigerator pickles and they were a huge hit! I made extra brine just in case, then used that with fresh green and yellow beans in separate jars. My daughter is asking me to make both of these again ASAP. Now I will have to use store bought produce, but she’s a picky eater so I will make them again soon. Thank You So Much!
These pickles are … I’ve been making them seasonally for four years now, and all the neighbours start asking in August when their jar is coming! Another amazing recipe from you Jenn – thanks for sharing.
Leaping right in, I made a double batch as a first attempt, and used pint jars. Also because that’s just how I am, I didn’t have coriander seeds, so used powdered. I added 2 mini vidalia onions (tiny, tiny) whole and peeled to each jar, a star anise to each jar, and 2 peeled whole garlic cloves to each jar. My red pepper flakes were little packets from a pizza ordered a while back … 1/2 packet each. And I put one strip of red and one strip of yellow bell pepper per jar.
FABULOUS!!!!!!!
They did not last a month in my fridge, or in friends’ fridges.
Making more this weekend, and processing some.
My husband and I absolutely loved these pickles. We devoured them.
Will make again for sure.
Question, when taking the pickles out of the jar, the dill was all over them. Of course I scraped it off. Maybe chop the dill?
Also, the mustard seeds rose to the top of the jar so that became a pain. Would turn the jar upside down, but they floated to the top again. Is this to be expected?
Thanks. Great recipe.
Hi Sunny, So glad you liked the pickles! You could chop the dill, but that would likely make it even harder to scrape off. And it is normal for the mustard seeds to rise to the top of the jar.