Refrigerator Pickles: Easy Homemade Dill Pickles, No Canning

Refrigerator pickles are the easiest pickles there are: cucumbers in a hot vinegar brine, kept in the fridge instead of canned. No special equipment, crisp as anything, and ready to eat the next day. Here is a simple dill recipe, the few rules that keep them safe, and the one pickle you can't rush overnight: pickled mushrooms.

What are refrigerator pickles?

Refrigerator pickles, also called quick pickles, are vegetables covered in a vinegar brine and kept cold. Because they are not heat-processed in a canner, they are not shelf-stable: they live in the fridge from the day you make them until the jar is empty.

Refrigerator pickles vs regular pickles

• Refrigerator pickles are vinegar pickles kept in the fridge. Ready in hours, at their best in a few days, and the crunchiest of the lot.
• Canned pickles are vinegar pickles that have been heat-processed in jars, so they keep in the pantry until opened.
• Fermented pickles skip the vinegar and sour slowly in a salt brine over weeks, which gives them a deeper, funkier flavor.

The best cucumbers for refrigerator pickles

Small, firm pickling cucumbers, often sold as Kirby cucumbers, make the crunchiest pickles: thin skins, few seeds and dense flesh. Persian cucumbers are a good second choice. Avoid large slicing cucumbers, which are watery and go soft, and use them within a day or two of buying; the fresher the cucumber, the crisper the pickle.

What you can't make overnight

Cucumbers pickle in a day. Some pickles take longer to get right. Our pickled crimini and the four other Golden Grove varieties are lightly fermented for 21 to 32 days, depending on the mushroom, and packed in a vinegar brine with garlic and herbs. That time is where the depth comes from, and it is the part a weeknight fridge pickle can't copy. Keep a jar next to your homemade pickles; the two together make an instant relish tray.

Refrigerator pickles recipe

Makes one quart jar. 20 minutes, plus at least a few hours in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) small pickling cucumbers (Kirby) or Persian cucumbers
• 1 cup white distilled or cider vinegar, labeled 5% acidity
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp pickling or canning salt
• 1 to 2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, halved
• 4 to 6 sprigs fresh dill, or 1 tsp dill seed
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• A pinch of chili flakes (optional)

Method

1. Sterilize a quart jar and its lid by boiling them in water for 10 minutes.
2. Wash the cucumbers and slice off 1/16 inch from the blossom end, which can soften pickles. Cut them into spears or rounds, or leave small ones whole.
3. Heat the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a pan, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve.
4. Pack the cucumbers into the jar with the garlic, dill, mustard seed, peppercorns and chili flakes.
5. Pour in the hot brine until the cucumbers are completely covered. Let it cool, put on the lid and refrigerate at 40°F or colder.
6. They are good after a few hours and best after one to three days. Eat within a month.

The rules that keep fridge pickles safe

• Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity. Some store brands are now only 4%, which may not be strong enough. Never use homemade vinegar; its acidity is unknown.
• Use at least as much vinegar as water. University extension services treat a quick pickle as safe when there is at least as much vinegar as other liquid. Too sour for you? Add a little more sugar rather than cutting the vinegar.
• Keep them cold, and eat them within a month. They are not shelf-stable and should never be left out of the fridge.
• Don't can them. Canning needs a tested recipe and method; this one is for the fridge only.
• Use a clean fork, not fingers, every time.
• Throw them out if the brine turns cloudy or slimy, or there is mold or an off smell.
• Don't reuse the brine for a new batch of vegetables. A splash in a salad dressing or slaw within a day or two is fine.

What is the 3-2-1 rule for pickles?

It is a shortcut you will see on cooking blogs: three parts of one liquid, two parts of another and one part sugar. The trouble is that blogs disagree on which way round it goes. Some say 3 parts vinegar to 2 parts water; others say 3 parts water to 2 parts vinegar. No food-safety authority uses it. If you follow it, use the vinegar-heavy version: 3 parts vinegar, 2 parts water, 1 part sugar. The water-heavy version has less vinegar than water, which is below the guideline above.

Refrigerator pickle variations

Bread and butter

Slice the cucumbers into rounds with thin slices of sweet onion, add ½ cup of sugar, ½ tsp turmeric and 1 tsp celery seed to the brine, and leave out the dill.

Spicy

Add a sliced jalapeño or a couple of dried chilies to the jar.

Quick pickled red onions

The same brine, with a little more sugar, turns sliced red onions bright pink in an hour. They are made for tacos, salads, sandwiches and boards.

Other vegetables

Carrot sticks, green beans, radishes, cauliflower and sliced peppers all work in the same brine. Pack each in its own jar so the flavors stay clear.

Refrigerator pickle questions

How long does it take refrigerator pickles to pickle?

They are edible after a few hours, but the flavor develops over a day or two. Most people find them best after one to three days.

How long do refrigerator pickles last?

Extension services give different limits, from two weeks to a few months. Up to one month in the fridge is the safe rule of thumb, as long as they stay covered in brine.

Why are my refrigerator pickles soft?

Usually because the blossom end wasn't trimmed, the cucumbers weren't fresh, or a large salad cucumber was used. Small pickling cucumbers, picked recently, stay crunchiest.

Do I need to boil the brine?

Heating dissolves the salt and sugar and helps the flavors in. Let the jar cool before it goes in the fridge.

Can I use any vinegar?

Any commercial vinegar labeled 5% acidity. White distilled vinegar keeps the color bright; cider vinegar adds a fruity note.

The short version

Equal parts 5% vinegar and water, a tablespoon of salt, garlic and dill, poured hot over fresh small cucumbers, and kept in the fridge for up to a month. For the pickles that take weeks to make, try a jar of pickled crimini or a mixed Build Your Variety Pack. And for more ideas, see all the types of pickles.