I firmly believe in the power of pickles. A few slices of pickled beets can elevate a basic salad into something worthy of the word dinner. Lay a couple of dilly beans alongside your hot dog and and suddenly it could pass for something far more gourmet. Couple cheddar with some pickled garlic scapes (chutney is also good here) and your party guests will praise your cheeseboard abilities to the heavens.
Here in the US, pickles are inextricably linked to cucumbers and so that’s where I’m starting. However, there’s no rule that cucumbers are the only thing that can be pickled. This basic technique can be applied to green beans, okra, asparagus*, cauliflower, carrot*s and all manner of summer squash. Make a promise to yourself that you’ll expand your pickle horizons this summer. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Many of my local farmers sell their kirby cucumbers by volume and so a single quart was my starting point for this recipe (I did weight them and had almost exactly 1 1/2 pounds of perfect, pickling cukes). I started by washing the cucumbers well, cutting off both ends (the blossom end has an enzyme that can contribute to limp pickles) and slicing them into wedges.
Once my cucumbers were sliced, I combined 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 3/4 filtered water and a two teaspoons sea salt. While that came to a boil, I prepped two clean pint jars. Each jar received one teaspoon dill seed, two peeled garlic cloves and one tablespoon chopped spring onion. Finally, I packed the cucumber spears into the jars. The quart of cucumbers fit perfectly into the two jars (makes sense since two pint jars equals a quart).
When the brine reached a boil, I slowly poured it into the jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Because these are refrigerator pickles (this means that they aren’t shelf stable and must be kept in the fridge) this is the point where the work is done. Once the brine is in the jars, you pop the lids on and tuck them into the fridge. Give them at least a day or two to cure and then nosh away.
*These vegetables need a quick bath in some boiling water before they’re able to be pickled. Spend the time and dirty the pot in order to blanch them for 30-60 seconds. The extra step will pay off in flavor.
Small Batch Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 quart kirby cucumbers approximately 1 1/2 pounds
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dill seed
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 spring onions whites only, chopped
Instructions
- Wash and dry kirby cucumbers. Chop ends off and slice into spears. Set aside.
- Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Equally divide the dill seed, garlic cloves and chopped onion between the two jars. Pack the cucumber spears into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them.
- Pour the brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put lids on the jars and let them cool on the counter top. Once they’re cool, put them in the refrigerator. Let cure for at least a day before eating. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a month.
I have made refrigerator pickles and would like to reuse the juice. Do I have to warm/boil the juice again to help with absorption, or can the new pickles (I’m using the small cocktail cukes, either whole or halved) become just as flavorful if I just use the brine cold? (This would be only the second use of the brine.)
If you’re okay with giving them a few days in the fridge, you can just pop new cucumbers into the old brine. I don’t recommend doing this more than once, because the cucumbers do start to water the brine down over time.
When you’ve used up your refrigerator pickle can you reuse the brine?
Yes! I don’t recommend doing it more than once though, as it get increasingly watered down.
Are there pickling recipe without vinegar?
I usually make mine using salt pepper, , water, garlic, dill..etc
Fermented pickles are made without vinegar and instead use salt, water, and spices. This is a vinegar based quick pickle, not a fermented pickle. If you didn’t make this recipe, I would appreciate it if you would remove the 1 star review. It’s not fair to give it a poor rating just because it wasn’t what you were looking for.
I am going to give them a try. I put up 8 quarts of bread and butter pickles yesterday. Will this recipe work for shelf storage if you use regular process and procedures? I want to put up some dill spears….
It is safe for boiling water bath canning, but you will lose some of the crunch that you get from a fridge pickle.
Can I process these in a hot water bath canner?
I make similar pickles with a 50:50 water/vinegar brine in pint jars with 1/2″ headspace and 10 minute processing.
Yes. They will just lose some of their crunch.
What book has recipes for refrigerator canning? Thank you!
You’ll find a handful of refrigerator pickles in my book, Preserving by the Pint.
Can I do these in a water bath to make them shelf stable over the winter? If not, how long are they good in the fridge for?
This is a refrigerator pickle recipe. For a preserved pickle, see this post. https://foodinjars.com/2009/08/garlic-dill-pickles/
You told someone above their pickles would be good in the fridge longer as long as the brine was hot when poured in the jars.
I followed another recipe that said to boil the vinegar mixture and let cool.
Will this cause a problem??
I wish you had the pre boil step in your actual directions. I was in a bit of a rush and didn’t read through the blog until after :/
What pre-boil step? There’s no pre-boil step if you’re making pickled cucumbers. That instruction is only there if you adapt the recipe to use other vegetables.
I was wondering if it’s possible to can this recipe? I absolutely love the flavor of these with the garlic, dill, and onions but hadn’t seen a similar recipe that was canned rather than refrigerated.
OK — so I know that this was originally posted several years ago but I just made these last week … got some gorgeous cukes from my CSA … they’ve been in the fridge a week and I tasted one today — so yummy and so easy to do! thank you!
Hello, Are these still fermented pickles since they don’t sit out on the counter?
Thanks
These are not fermented pickles. These are vinegar pickles.
I am anxious to try these pickles using the abundance of cucumbers from my garden, but I could not find Dill Seed in my local grocery store. Is there anything I can substitute? Or suggestions where to find it?
Look online! Or see if your town has a specialized spice store. Ethnic grocery stores often have it as well.
Hi! I used 2 quart jars but the brine does not cover the cucumbers or get anywhere close to 1/4″ head space. I’d say that the brine fills maybe 3/4 of the jar, leaving part of the cucumber out of the brine. Should I double the brine? Or is it ok as is because the cucumbers will release water?
Since you increased the size of the jars, you may need to increase the brine. I made them in pint jars and packed them in quite tightly. If the veg isn’t tightly packed, you will need more brine to compensate.
I made these two days ago for my first attempt at canning. They’re fabulous! Thanks for the recipe!