Dill Pickles are salty, crunchy, sour, and perfectly delicious. I add them to nearly everything – and also snack on them all the time. These quick pickles are so easy to make and are my favorite snack to have in the fridge.
I know everyone hates “the life stories” so I’ll keep it short and sweet. My grandpa used to call me “Pickles” as a kid because I could add pickles as a side to any meal. I ate them with any meal or snack that I could. To this day, I still pretty much do. I almost always ask for extra pickles.
These quick pickles are so easy and well, “quick” to make. I love having them on hand to serve with meals – and to snack on.
Table of Contents
🥘 Ingredients
- Pickling Cucumbers (the tiny ones) – This is kind of important. You can use normal cucumbers, but they just don’t quite come out the same. (If you can’t get your hands on pickling cucumbers, the really long seedless ones would be the next best option.) Thinly slice your cucumbers using a food processor or mandolin – into about 1/4 inch slices.
- Garlic – You must use fresh garlic – not pre-peeled, diced in oil, or dehydrated garlic.
- Dill – I use mostly fresh dill if I have access to it. If I don’t, I use a mixture of both fresh and dried – the fresh gives you a punch of dill right away and the dried releases its flavor into the brine after it sits a while – a perfect combination. (1 teaspoon of dry = 1 tablespoon fresh)
- Kosher Salt – For both salting the cucumbers and for the pickle brine.
- Water
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Sugar – I usually use cane sugar or just plain old granulated sugar for pickles. (They aren’t being canned and honestly won’t last long enough for there to be any issues.)
- Mustard Seeds – Try not to bite into these – they don’t taste very good on their own!
- Coriander Seeds – Also try not to bite into these – they also don’t taste very good!
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A large pot or dutch oven (I love love love my 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset.)
- A food processor or mandolin (this helps to slice all of the pickles to the same thickness.. er.. thinness)
- A heat-safe bowl or large measuring cup
- 2 Quart-sized mason jars or a really large airtight container.
🥣 How to Make Fridge Pickles
It is so easy to make these pickles – no canning needed.
First, but optional – Salt the Sliced Cucumbers
- Toss the cucumbers in a teaspoon or so of salt. Place them in a strainer over a bowl and let them sit for 20 – 30 minutes. The salt will suck some of the water out of the pickles and this helps them crisp up.
- Toss the pickles around a couple of times throughout the 30 minutes to make sure that all of the pickles get some moisture pulled out, then shake them in the colander before pickling to knock off any excess salt.
To Make the Pickles
- In a pot on the stove, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds with the hot water and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved and remove from heat.
- In a large heatproof container, toss the cucumbers and onions with the dill and garlic.
- Pour the brine over the cucumbers and mix to get the brine fully distributed.
- Place a small plate or upside-down jar over the cucumbers to keep them submerged, then let the pickles and brine cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled (the color will change as well) – transfer the pickles and brine to an airtight container or jar. Refrigerate the pickles and serve cold.
🍱 Recipe Yield
This recipe makes two quart-sized mason jars filled with pickles.
🍲 Serving Size
I’ll let you determine your own serving size when it comes to pickles. I could eat an entire jar in one sitting.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
I like to put sliced cucumbers in a colander or metal strainer over a bowl and coat them with kosher salt. Let them sit for 20 – 30 minutes and it will draw the moisture out of the cucumbers. When you add the brine,
These pickles are NOT shelf-stable. They should be stored in the fridge at all times.
In order to safely can pickles, you need to follow a tested recipe. I really like this recipe for packing pickles for long-term storage.
I like to use Kirby cucumbers. They are smaller and seem to absorb pickle flavors the best.
🍳 Serving Suggestions & Uses
Serve these pickles with anything your heart desires – sandwiches, burgers, chicken shawarma, or just as a snack. Ever since I was a kid, I loved eating pickles with chicken noodle soup – something about the sour of the pickles contrasts all the heaviness of a filling soup.
🥫 Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
Once the brine has cooled, store these pickles in the refrigerator. They will be best the next day and through the first week (though I usually eat them after a few hours in the fridge) but they can last up to a month if you don’t eat them quick enough.
✏️ Helpful Tips
- If you have time, salt your cucumber slices before pouring the brine over them. This sucks out the moisture in the cucumbers and allows them to suck up all of the delicious brine. This also helps the cucumbers to stay crunchy.
- Don’t eat the coriander/mustard seeds. They don’t taste very good 😉
- If you don’t have fresh dill, 1 teaspoon of dried is about the same as 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
Other Recipes Using Spring Produce
Dehydrator Recipes
How to Dehydrate Cherry Tomatoes
Drinks
Honeysuckle Simple Syrup
Drinks
Honeysuckle Tea
Side Dishes
Quick Pickled Red Onions
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
📝 Recipe
Quick & Easy Dill Pickle (Refrigerator) Recipe
Equipment
- a large bowl
- a large pot
- a metal colander/strainer
- a plate or a large jar
- two quart-sized mason jars or an air-tight container
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt + a little extra for salting the cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 pounds kirby (pickling) cucumbers sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- ¾ cup fresh dill coarsely chopped
- 4 – 6 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
Instructions
Optional – Salt the Sliced Cucumbers
- Toss the cucumbers in a teaspoon or so of salt. Place them in a strainer over a bowl and let them sit for 20 – 30 minutes. The salt will suck some of the water out of the pickles and this helps them crisp up.2 pounds kirby (pickling) cucumbers
- Toss the pickles around a couple of times throughout the 30 minutes to make sure that all of the pickles get some moisture pulled out, then shake them in the colander before pickling to knock off any excess salt.
To Make the Pickles
- In a pot on the stove, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds with the hot water and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved then remove from heat.1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 4 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 2 cups water
- In a large heatproof container, toss the cucumbers with the dill, sliced onions, and garlic.2 pounds kirby (pickling) cucumbers, 1 large onion, ¾ cup fresh dill, 4 – 6 garlic cloves
- Pour the brine over the cucumbers and mix to get the brine fully distributed.
- Place a small plate or upside-down jar over the cucumbers to keep them submerged, then let the pickles and bring cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container or jar. Refrigerate the pickles and serve cold.
Video
Notes
Recipe Yield
This recipe makes two quart-sized mason jars filled with pickles.How do you keep pickles from getting soggy?
I like to put sliced cucumbers in a colander or metal strainer over a bowl and coat them with kosher salt. Let them sit for 20 – 30 minutes and it will draw the moisture out of the cucumbers. When you add the brine,Are these pickles shelf-stable?
These pickles are NOT shelf-stable. They should be stored in the fridge at all times.How do you can pickles?
In order to safely can pickles, you need to follow a tested recipe. I really like this recipe for packing pickles for long-term storage.How to Store Pickles
Once the brine has cooled, store these pickles in the refrigerator. They will be best the next day and through the first week (though I usually eat them after a few hours in the fridge) but they can last up to a month if you don’t eat them quick enough.Tips
- If you have time, salt your cucumber slices before pouring the brine over them. This sucks out the moisture in the cucumbers and allows them to suck up all of the delicious brine. This also helps the cucumbers to stay crunchy.
- Don’t eat the coriander/mustard seeds. They don’t taste very good 😉
- If you don’t have fresh dill, 1 teaspoon of dried is about the same as 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
They taste great…..I love pickles