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
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 crushed 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 qt (1L) 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.
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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 make these but without vinegar. I do not heat the brine. Very, very simple and enjoyable.
Started making these pickles last year when I had a plethora of pickling cucumbers from our garden. They are wonderful! Couldn’t wait to make them this year.
I’m very interested in making these but I’m not a fan of “kosher” style pickles. Would these have the same taste?
Hi Robin, These do have the garlic-and-dill flavor associated with kosher-style pickles, so if that’s what you don’t care for, they may not be the best fit. That said, they’re quick refrigerator pickles rather than fermented pickles, so they do have a fresher, less intensely sour flavor.
The best pickle recipe. I have been using it for years and it is always perfect. Thanks! Love all your recipes
This is a fabulous recipe for dill pickles, so easy and delicious!
For me this is an unbeatable recipe. Easy to make, easy to tweak, more garlic sure, add some heat….absolutely.
Crisp pickles that definitely last in the fridge if they last.
I love making chips rather than spears.
You can also mix it up and throw in some ranch seasoning.
I do a partial batch that way and they get inhaled.
Is there a way to use this recipe to can? What changes would need to be made? I’m not a experienced canner so looking for a bit of expert advice! These pickles are delicious! Thanks for sharing!!
Glad you like the pickles! I didn’t develop this recipe with canning in mind, so I’m not sure it would be safe.
Can you add pickle crisp to the recipe?
Hi Amy, I’m not familiar with pickle crisp, but I don’t think it’s necessary here.
Really tasty crispy pickles! I wish I had fresh dill, so I used dill seed and crushed with other seeds. I will save this recipe for next year’s pickle harvest!😃
Best pickles ever and so easy!
What can I use if I don’t have coriander seed?
Hi Lori, you can just omit it.
I can’t buy mustard seed will that cause issues
Hi Emily, if you have ground mustard on hand, I’d include a pinch or two of that.
Pickling spice works as well! It has coriander and mustard seeds, along with other things that would work well in this recipe. I’d recommend doing the same amount as suggested in this recipe of mustard seeds and coriander.
Try Caraway seeds at a 1:1 ratio.