Easy Fridge Pickles

Mar 11

Why This Recipe Works

We use pickling cucumbers, which are smaller and shorter. They have a crisp, firm texture with thinner skins so the brine can penetrate for better flavor.
Our brine is made with a base of white distilled vinegar, kosher salt, sugar, and water, which will give the dill pickles the best taste.
Fresh dill and garlic cloves are essential aromatics for the right flavor. The amount you add can be changed based on personal preference.
Our mix of dried pickling spices give these refrigerated dill pickles the best flavor.
No canning required. The absence of the hot water bath allows the pickles to retain their crunchiness, so the end result is a crisp and tangy pickle.

The Ingredients

The ingredients for our easy refrigerator dill pickles are simple to find at your local grocery store. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.

Cucumbers: You can use kirby cucumbers, which are short and squat with bumps, or pickling cucumbers.
Brine: Our pickling brine is a combination of white vinegar, kosher salt, sugar, and water.
Dry Spices: We used mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, bay leaf, and celery seed.
Fresh Herbs: We used 6 sprigs of fresh dill, but you can use as much as you like.
Aromatics: We used fresh garlic cloves that were peeled and quartered lengthwise.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

Want to make the Kool-Aid version? Check out this wacky recipe from Tornadough Alli.

How to Make

Gather all the ingredients to make easy refrigerator pickles. Measure out the spices, sugar, and vinegar.
Rinse the pickling cucumbers under cold running water and place the cukes in a colander to drain.
Using a chef's knife, slice the cucumbers into thin coins and place them in a bowl. You may also choose to slice the cukes into spears or use a crinkle-cut slicer to get a different look.
Pour the water and the vinegar into a saucepan, then stir. Cover and bring to almost a boil. Turn the heat down to low and add the sugar and salt. Stir it until it dissolves, then remove from the heat and let the pickling brine cool to room temperature.
While the dill pickle brine cools in a 4-cup glass measuring cup, peel the large garlic cloves, and slice them into quarters lengthwise.
In each of the six clean canning jars, add the dried spices, a broken-up bay leaf, garlic quarters, and the fresh dill.
Place the sliced cucumbers into each jar, leaving a bit of headspace for the brine. Pour the brine into each of the jars.
Secure the lid of the jar by screwing it on tightly. Turn each jar upside down and give it a few shakes to distribute the spices. Let the jars cool completely on the counter before placing them in the fridge.
Let refrigerator dill pickles sit in the fridge for 3 to 4 days before eating. Make sure to shake the jars every day during this waiting time to distribute the spices.
We let the dill pickles sit in the refrigerator for 3 days before opening them to eat. You can see that the color will change from a bright green to a duller yellowish-green the longer it sits in the brine. Enjoy easy refrigerator dill pickles as a snack on their own or put them on a hamburger.