Easy Dill Refrigerator Pickles

Easy dill refrigerator pickles are one of my favorite things to make every year as soon as I see pickling cucumbers hit the farmers market tables.

As soon as we open a jar of pickles around here, it is gone. Blink. Gone. My kids devour pickles and never, ever seem to tire of their dill-y goodness. I can’t blame them. I am a long-time dill pickle lover myself. Thankfully, for many months of the year, we are able to get our hands on pickling cukes and we can make our own refrigerator pickles.

Pickling cucumbers are small, firm cucumbers made to be pickled. The skin is thin, the flesh is crisp, and they don’t have very many seeds. You can certainly pickle other cucumbers but if you see these small cucumbers at your farmers market – sometimes called Kirby Cucumbers – grab them!

Back in the day, the days before I had 4 small pickle-lovers running amuck, I used to actually process jars of pickles – boiling water bath and all – and have pickle goodness to eat all winter long. Those days are long gone. Now that my sister has turned me onto super-quick refrigerator pickles, I have to say that these are a worthy replacement. Refrigerator pickles take almost no work at all. No boiling water, no special spices, no burnt fingers. Just cucumbers, vinegar, water, and salt. Anything else – garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns – is bonus.

One of the best parts of refrigerator pickles is that as soon as you devour the pickles in the jar, cut up some more cucumbers and add them to your pickle juice to get another batch ready. This could not be easier … Pickles will be ready to taste in a couple of hours but I think they are perfect after a day or two. Pickles will keep in your fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. Enjoy!

Print

Easy Dill Refrigerator Pickles

Preserving the summer harvest could not be easier with this recipe for refrigerator pickles! Enjoy!

Course Canning and Preserving

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 jars

Author Erin

Ingredients

• 3 lbs of pickling cucumbers , thinly sliced
• 4 cups white vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 6 to 8 teaspoons of pickling salt or kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic , crushed
• 4 sprigs of dill
• Peppercorns and mustard seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Because these pickles are not being "processed" in a boiling water bath, I like to recycle jars from my cupboard. I used four 16 oz glass juice jars for this project and they were a great size to give away to friends or keep for myself.
2. In each 16 ounce jar, pile sliced cucumbers over 1 crushed garlic clove. Top with a sprig or two of dill and 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt. Add peppercorns and mustard seeds if desired.
3. Combine equal parts water and vinegar - maybe a little heavy on the vinegar portion of the ratio. Pour vinegar and water combination over the cucumber slices until they are almost covered. Put the cover on the jar and give it a nice shake. Put in the fridge.
4. The pickles will be ready to taste test in a couple of hours - I think they are perfect after 1 to 2 days. Give the pickle jars a periodic shake to agitate the pickle juice a bit. The pickles will last in your fridge two to three weeks. Enjoy!