Refrigerator Dill Pickles

5 from 1 vote

Homemade quick pickles have never been easier! These refrigerator dill pickles are the perfect way to take advantage of crisp, fresh cucumbers -- without the hassle of canning.

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword quick pickles, refrigerator dill pickles, refrigerator pickles

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings quarts

Calories 129kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

5 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
1 whole clove garlic, peeled
6 cups sliced cucumbers (about 2 ½ lbs.), such as seedless English cucumbers
2 cups thinly sliced Vidalia onions (about 1 medium onion)
6 sprigs fresh dill

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring water, vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic clove to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk to make sure that the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Discard the garlic clove.
Divide cucumbers, onions, and dill sprigs between 3 (1-quart) jars. Add cooled vinegar mixture to cover; seal jars. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before enjoying. The pickles will last in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Notes

Some pickle recipes use equal parts vinegar and water for the brine. This brine is more mild and less tangy, which we really love (and it makes it easier to serve the pickles as a side dish). If you prefer a more pungent acidic tang in your pickles, you can decrease the water and increase the cider vinegar.
For a stronger garlic flavor, place a whole peeled garlic clove in each jar of pickles, rather than just letting the clove infuse the brine.
If you like a stronger dill flavor, add extra dill sprigs to each jar (you can easily increase the dill to 3-4 sprigs in each jar).
We love the balance of the pickled cucumbers with the sweet pickled onions. If you prefer fewer onions in your jars, you can decrease the amount of onion called for in the recipe and replace it with extra cucumbers instead.
For spicy refrigerator dill pickles, add crushed red pepper flakes or whole peppercorns to the brine.
Try a sweeter pickle by increasing the sugar in the brine.
Cut the cucumbers into any shape you like. I've shown round hamburger chips here, but you can slice them into long sandwich slices, spears, or crinkle cut rounds.
Let the pickles sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours to develop their flavor before enjoying. They must always be stored in the refrigerator since they are not properly canned to be shelf-stable.
Scale the recipe to make as many jars as you like. For a small batch of refrigerator pickles, just cut all of the ingredients in half. If you have a bumper crop of cucumbers to enjoy, you can double the ingredients and prepare twice as many jars!

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