Refrigerator Dill Pickles with Garlic

These refrigerator dill pickles are crunchy, full of flavor from the fresh dill and garlic, and best of all, easy to make! You can use any kind of cucumbers, whole or sliced.

If you're faced with a surplus of cucumbers from your garden or CSA, making pickles (or cucumber salad!) is a great way to use up several cucumbers in one recipe. You can keep them whole, cut them into spears, or make pickle chips for your veggie burgers and sandwiches.

Not into canning (or afraid of delving into canning)? No canning or sterilization required here! You don't even need to turn on the stove—just mix up a salt water brine and add cucumbers. Refrigerator pickles last a reasonable amount of time in the fridge (4-6 weeks) and keep their crunch and fresh flavor.

This recipe makes 3-4 jars of pickles.

🥒 Ingredients

• Water
• White Vinegar
• Kosher Salt
• Sugar
• Garlic
• Mustard Seeds
• Black Peppercorns
• Red Chili Flakes
• Pickling Cucumbers
• Fresh Dill

Seasoning

Besides the salt and vinegar in the brine, the pickles get their flavor from the fresh garlic, mustard seeds, chili flakes, and dill. Make sure to use fresh garlic and dill for the best flavor!

I recommend picking up mustard seeds and peppercorns at an international market (such as an Indian market) versus the grocery store. The herbs and spices will be more plentiful and cheaper than the small jars at the grocery store.

Cucumbers

The go-to cucumber for pickling is the pickling cucumber (obv) which are in season in July and August, but you should be able to find them at grocery stores and markets year round, where they are sometimes marked as "pickles" in the produce department.

If you can't find pickling cucumbers, any cucumber will do. You can slice them into spears or chips if you prefer, especially if it's a larger cucumber.

Pickling cucumbers or "pickles" are in season late summer and can be found at most produce markets.

🔪 Instructions

Combine the water, white vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and chili flakes in a large pitcher.

Mustard seeds add a bit of zest to the pickle brine.

Stir to combine until the salt is dissolved.

You can use mason jars or repurposed food jars (such as pasta sauce jars) for the pickles.

Wash the cucumbers and place them in 3-4 quart jars.

Add the pickles to the jars before pouring in the brine so they don't overflow.

Pour the brine over the cucumbers, evenly dividing between the jars.

Make sure the brine completely submerges the pickles.

Add 3-4 sprigs of dill to each jar.

If the jars are not completely full of brine, pour a mixture of half water and half white vinegar over the cucumbers until they are covered completely. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Wait 1-2 days before eating.

Top off the jars with a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar if the brine doesn't cover the cucumbers completely.

💭 Tips

• The pickles will be ready to eat after 24 hours, but taste best after 2-3 days in the brine.
• The pickles will last 4-6 weeks stored in the refrigerator.
• Make sure the pickles are completely submerged in the brine when stored or they will go bad.
• You can use any type of cucumber for this recipe and cut them however you like—whole, spears, or slices.
• Not a fan of spice? You can leave out the red chili flakes.

The spices add a ton of flavor to the pickles.

❓ FAQs

Do you have to boil brine for refrigerator pickles?

Nope, it's not necessary to boil the brine. Some recipes will instruct you to boil the brine because it can help the salt and sugar dissolve faster, bring out the flavors, and speed up the process. I've tried both ways and found that it just added an extra step (and heat in the kitchen in the summer!), and if you don't wait for the mixture to cool completely, it can make the pickles less crunchy. 

How long do refrigerator pickles keep?

Refrigerator pickles keep for at least 4-6 weeks as long as the pickles are completely submerged in the brine and covered in an airtight container. The salt and vinegar will help preserve the pickles and keep them from growing any bad bacteria or mold.

How do you know if refrigerator pickles are bad?

Check your pickles for any changes in smell, texture, or taste. It's normal for the pickles to change in color from bright green to an olive green, but if there are any mushy spots or visible mold, discard the pickles.

What is the difference between refrigerator and canned pickles?

Refrigerator pickles are pickles made by marinating cucumbers in a brine in the refrigerator. They have a shorter shelf life and must be stored in the refrigerator at all times.

Canning is a process of vacuum sealing jars of food at high temperatures to make it shelf stable for up to several years prior to opening. Typically this is done in a bath of boiling water.

This recipe is specifically for refrigerator pickles and has not been tested with canning. If you are looking to make canned pickles, I recommend looking up a recipe made for canning since the ratio of ingredients in the brine may vary and the canning process may affect the taste of the pickles.

📋 Variations

• Feel free to experiment with the seasonings in the pickle recipe. You could try adding hot peppers instead of chili flakes, or different fresh herbs with the dill.
• Replace some or all of the white vinegar with apple cider vinegar if you like the flavor of apple cider vinegar.

📖 Recipe

Refrigerator Dill Pickles with Garlic

Yield: 3-4 jars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

These refrigerator dill pickles are crunchy, full of flavor from the fresh dill and garlic, and best of all, easy to make! You can use any kind of cucumbers, whole or sliced.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 6 tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 7-8 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 18-20 pickling cucumbers
• 1 bunch fresh dill

Instructions

1. Combine the water, white vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and chili flakes in a large pitcher.
2. Stir to combine until the salt is dissolved.
3. Wash the cucumbers and place them in 3-4 quart jars.
4. Pour the brine over the cucumbers, evenly dividing between the jars.
5. Add 3-4 sprigs of dill to each jar.
6. If the jars are not completely full of brine, pour a mixture of half water and half white vinegar over the cucumbers until they are covered completely.
7. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
8. Wait 1-2 days before eating. The pickles will last 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator.

Notes

• The pickles will be ready to eat after 24 hours, but taste best after 2-3 days in the brine.
• The pickles will last 4-6 weeks stored in the refrigerator.
• Make sure the pickles are completely submerged in the brine when stored or they will go bad.
• You can use any type of cucumber for this recipe and cut them however you like—whole, spears, or slices.
• Not a fan of spice? You can leave out the red chili flakes.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1-2 pickles
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 19Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1135mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

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