How to Make Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Homemade pickles are such a great snack to have on hand. If you grow cucumbers, making them can be quite easy. We make several types of pickles each summer, but these quick refrigerator dill pickles come together in a snap and last a long time in the fridge.

We like to make both dill pickles and bread and butter pickles to have a variety of flavors. This recipe is for a quick dill pickle that stays crunchy will a nice garlic and dill flavor infused while they hang out in the fridge.

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How Many Dill Pickles Does this Recipe Make?

This recipe is to make a 1/2 gallon jar. You can very easily scale it up or down depending on how many fresh cucumbers you have.

Sometimes I make it in one big jar because I have a lot of cucumbers ready to pickle and other times I make it in small jars because the cucumbers are just trickling in from the garden.

Types of Cucumbers Needed

This recipe is best made when you have very fresh cucumbers. You want the small pickling cucumbers, not the big eating ones.

The ideal size of cucumber is about 4 inches long. If you use cucumbers that are much bigger, the seeds are more developed and the pickles will end up not being crisp like a pickle should be.

If you are not growing your own cucumbers, you might be able to find them at the farmer’s market. Make sure they were just picked or they won’t make the best pickles.

Ingredients Needed for Dill Pickles

Brine:

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salt (non iodized – we use Redmonds)

Add to the 1/2 gallon jar

• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 springs of fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
• Sliced cucumbers (around 2-2.5 pounds)

Step By Step How to Make Dill Pickles

• First you want to get all of the cucumbers sliced and into an ice bath. The ice bath is optional, but does make the most crisp pickles. To slice the cucumbers, you can use a sharp knife, a mandolin slicer, or a fun crinkle chopper for extra fancy pickles. You can also slice in spears or slice lengthwise for big slabs of pickle.
• Next, you will heat all the ingredients for the brine to a boiling to dissolve the salt, stirring occasionally.
• Then take your 1/2 gallon jar or a variety of smaller jars.
• Add to the jar all the ingredients in the order listed, saving one dill spring for the top.
• Then pour on the hot brine over the cucumbers in the jar.
• If the brine does not go to the top of the jar, you will add water to the top if needed to fill the jar.
• When the jar is filled, leave on the counter to cool down. When cooled down, you will then place a top on. Use a plastic top if you have one so that it won’t rust.
• I will usually gently shake the jar to move things around
• Last, place the jar of pickles in the fridge and let sit for several days. We like to let them sit for 1-2 weeks before eating or the best flavor.

Tips to Make the Best Pickles

If you want to have really crisp pickles, you will need to make sure you do a few things to ensure you do.

Yield: 1/2 gallon jar

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Print

Homemade dill pickles are quick and easy to make. This is a recipe that uses fresh cucumbers for a quick refrigerator dill pickle that does not use canning.

Ingredients

• Brine:
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salt (non iodized - we use Redmonds)
• Add to the jar
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 springs of fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
• Sliced cucumbers (around 2-2.5 pounds)

Instructions

1. First you want to get all of the cucumbers sliced and into an ice bath with a few tablespoons of salt. The ice bath is optional, but does make the most crisp pickles. To slice the cucumbers, you can use a sharp knife, a mandolin slicer, or a fun crinkle chopper for extra fancy pickles. You can also slice in spears or slice lengthwise for big slabs of pickle.
2. Next, you will heat all the ingredients for the brine to a boiling to dissolve the salt, stirring occasionally.
3. Then take your 1/2 gallon jar or a variety of smaller jars.
4. Add to the jar all the ingredients in the order listed, saving one dill spring for the top.
5. Then pour on the hot brine over the cucumbers in the jar.
6. If the brine does not go to the top of the jar, you will add water to the top if needed to fill the jar.
7. When the jar is filled, leave on the counter to cool down. When cooled down, you will then place a top on. Use a plastic top if you have one so that it won't rust.
8. I will usually gently shake the jar to move things around
9. Last, place the jar of pickles in the fridge and let sit for several days. We like to let them sit for 1-2 weeks before eating or the best flavor.`

Notes

• The best pickles are going to come from your own garden. That way you can make the pickles as soon as you pick the cucumbers.
• Pick the cucumbers small before their seeds develop too much. See the picture below. The smaller, the better in this case.
• If you do not have enough cucumbers to pick in one day to make a batch of pickles, you can store the cucumbers in an airtight bag in the fridge for a few days as you pick more cucumbers each day.
• Or you can make a batch with the brine and add sliced cucumbers as you go over a few day stretch.
• One of the best pieces of advice I have gotten when it comes to making crisp pickles, is to slice the pickles and place them in a salt/ice bath before you put them into the brine. You will slice the pickles how you want and then add them to an ice bath with a few tablespoons of salt. Mix it up and leave the cucumbers, salt, and ice to soak a few hours. Drain off the liquid and use cucumbers as they are (no need to rinse). This removes some of the liquid of the cucumbers and makes them more crispy.