Alas, a pickle recipe that doesn’t involve water bath canning! These refrigerator pickles have a delicious amount of tangy goodness and the most perfect garlicky, dill crunch. Now you can make pickles at home, too!
Last summer, we had an ongoing bountiful harvest of cucumbers. After all the fresh eating and snacking, cucumber salads, and blessing others, we still had so many cucumbers to make this recipe… on repeat. With every burger, hot dog, sandwich or even as a snack, my family is obsessed! Although these pickles soak overnight, they are easy to make, and come together in minutes with simple ingredients, at a fraction of store bought pickles. So, let’s get to it!
What i love about this reCIPE
No canning equipment needed. I wish I had this recipe back when I was new to gardening and didn’t have canning equipment. While these pickles are not shelf stable for long-term storage, this recipe is a great way to preserve an abundance of cucumbers, without canning equipment. An easy recipe for beginners and experienced, alike!
Perfectly crisp. The notorious crunch. It’s a dreamy attribute! These pickles have the most delightful crunchy, crisp texture. Settle no more for those floppy, mushy pickles. You deserve better!
prepare your supplies
- Whisk
- Saucepan
- Knife
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Mason Jar with Lid
Gather your ingredients
Pickling Cucumbers – Fresh is best! Slice them into spears, rounds or if you have small cucumbers, whole works, too.
Garlic Cloves – Gives the garlicky punch in this recipe. You can add the cloves whole, however, smashing them before adding them to the jar, infuses the brine quicker, giving a bolder flavor.
Pickling Spice – The brand makes a huge difference! I’ve tried several and I must admit, I like McCormick’s Pickling Spice best as it doesn’t carry as much heat, leaving the pickles spicy. It also has cinnamon in it, which gives a whole new level of flavor.
Bay Leaf – This ingredient is optional as most pickling spice has bay leaves included.
Fresh Dill Sprigs – A non-negotiable… you can’t have dill pickles without dill. If you don’t have fresh on hand, you can use freeze dried dill or dried dill.
Vinegar – White and Apple Cider make a beautifully balanced brine. Pucker up, buttercup!
Salt – Because this is not a water bath recipe, you don’t need pickling salt. Sea salt works just fine, here
Cane Sugar – Adds just a little bit of sweetness. If you love bread and butter pickles, you can increase the sugar up to 1/4 a cup.
Water – Tap, filtered or bottled.
Let’s get to it: how to make overnight refrigerator DILL pickles
- Mix and boil the brine. In a small saucepan, bring to boil water, vinegars, salt and sugar. Stir until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from stove and let cool.
- Prepare your pickles. Cut the blossom end off, no more than an 1/8″. Slice cucumbers into your preference, half or spears.
- Pack your jars. To the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar, add garlic cloves, dill and pickling spice. Then, stuff cucumbers, tightly, into the jar.
- Finish and refrigerate. Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, add it to the mason jar, completely covering the cucumbers. Place the lid on the jar, give it a little shake to combine all of the ingredients well and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight.
top recipe questions
Q: Can I water bath this recipe?
A: No. This recipe is for Refrigerator Dill Pickles only, as canning pickles require additional time and equipment, and adjusted ingredients.
Q: Do I have to use pickling cucumbers?
A: Although I have not tried this recipe with munching cucumbers, I would say, why not try it? Keep in mind pickling cucumbers are different from munching cucumbers. They have different qualities that make them suitable for a specific use.
Q: Can I enjoy them sooner?
A: If you’re in a pinch and need pickles quickly, you can let them soak in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours. But, at least 24 hours is worth the wait!
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. pure cane sugar
- 6-8 pickling cucumbers fresh is best
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 4 fresh dill sprigs
- 1 tbsp. pickling spice
- 1 bay leaf optional
Instructions
- Mix and boil the brine. In a small saucepan, bring to boil water, vinegars, salt and sugar. Stir until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from stove and let cool.
- Prepare your pickles. Cut cucumbers into your preference, half or spears.
- Pack your jars. To the bottom of a 1 quart mason jar, add garlic cloves, dill and pickling spice. Then, stuff cucumbers, tightly, into the jar.
- Finish and refrigerate. Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, add it to the mason jar, completely covering the cucumbers. Place the lid on the jar, give it a little shake to combine all of the ingredients well and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight.
Notes
