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Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles (Video)

Filed Under: Kids in the Kitchen, Recipes

Have you ever made your own refrigerator dill pickles? They are easy, delicious, and don’t require canning. Just seal and refrigerate! This post contains affiliate links.

Watch our step by step video!

We didn’t plant cucumbers or dill in our garden this year like we have in the past, but that didn’t stop us from making pickles this year. Refrigerator pickles! I like these because they are super crunchy and take about 10 minutes to prepare.

pickles in jars on counter

They aren’t canned or processed, so they can’t be stored in the pantry, but they will stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least a month. My jars usually seal due to the hot brine so I’m sure they’d last much longer than a month.

cucumbers, salt, vinegar, pepper flakes, garlic and dill on counter

Pickling cucumbers, vinegar, water, salt, dill, garlic and red pepper flakes. That’s it! This recipe fills 2 quart sized jars with pickle spears. You can use wide mouth or regular mouth jar.

How To Make Refrigerator Dill Pickles

knife slicing cucumber on cutting board
(Our favorite kid’s knife—it actually cuts!)
This year Kaylee helped me make our pickles. I love recipes like this where kids can really get involved. She loved packing the jars for me.
hand shoving fresh dill into jar
You’ll need a 5 oz. package of fresh dill. You can find this in the produce section at your local grocery store. If you have dill in your garden—even better. I haven’t tried making these with dill weed.
hand adding garlic to jar
You can add as much garlic as you’d like. I add 5-6 cloves per jar. Mince it, slice it, add whole cloves. It’s up to you. If you’d like a bit of spice, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.
jar full of cucumbers and brine
Bring the brine ingredients to a boil then pour over the cucumbers, garlic, and dill in the jars. Leave 1/2″ room at the top and add a lid.

For the Crunchiest Refrigerator Pickles

Allow brine to cool completely before pouring over cucumbers. Add lids and refrigerate.

For Slightly Soft Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Pour hot bring over cucumbers. Let pickles sit on counter until the jars are room temperature then refrigerate. This is what I like to do.
Note: you will most likely have brine left over. It just depends on how tightly you pack the cucumbers in and if you use spears vs. slices. I always prefer having a little extra vs. not enough.
pickles in jars on counter
Here they are right before going into the refrigerator. Still looking like cucumbers.
two jars of pickles 24 hours old on counter

24 hours later. Definitely looking like pickle spears. Mine change color slightly because I poured hot brine over them. If you use cold brine, the color won’t change as much.

Easy, right? For best results, allow pickles to refrigerate 2 days before eating.

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Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles Recipe

Homemade Refrigerator Pickles!

two bottles of refrigerator pickles

Have you ever made your own refrigerator pickles? They are easy, delicious, and don’t require canning. Just seal and refrigerate!

  • 1 lb pickling cucumbers
  • 10 cloves garlic (whole, minced or sliced)
  • 1 package fresh dill
  • 1 Tbsp. salt
  • 4 cup water
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • red pepper flakes (to taste)

  1. Bring water and vinegar and salt to a boil.

  2. Pack 2 quart sized jars tight with cucumbers (that have been sliced or speared), garlic, and lots of fresh dill.

  3. Sprinkle with red pepper, flakes if desired, and pour brine into jars until it reaches about 1/2″ from the top of the jar.

  4. Add lids and screw on tight. Let sit on counter until they are room temperature. Place in refrigerator.

  5. They will last at least month in the refrigerator.

If you want CRUNCHY pickles, allow brine to cool completely before adding to jars. A hot brine slightly cooks the pickles. They’ll still be crunchy, but a little softer.

These pickles should refrigerate several days, but you can sample them after 24 hours if you’d like!

 

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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. heartnsoulcooking says

    LOVE!!! homemade Pickles. My grandma made them all the time. THANKS!!! for the recipe.
    Geri

    Reply

  6. karlalala says

    our pickles came out that way too… one even went the shape of a candy cane!! too funny!! but man they are soooooooo good!! i had two for dinner last night. hey… maybe i could use those for a diet!! wink!! have a great vacation!!

    Reply

  9. Ott, A. says

    that looks so tasty. I’m stopping by from It’s a Blog party. I just wanted to let you know that I am hosting a “Canning Week Blog party” the week of Aug. 23-27. We will be posting lots of tips, recipes, give-a-ways and a linky party. I hope you can stop by and link up. It should be a lot of fun!!!
    a Latte with Ott, A

    Reply

  11. M Wadswo says

    Hi Brandy. So these pickles are actually not “canned pickles”? I mean the ones that you can leave sit in a cool place for months/year? Do you HAVE TO refrigerate them?

    Thanks,
    Monica

    Reply

    • Brandy says

      Hi Monica! Yes, these ones need to be refrigerated. Since they aren’t cooked or canned, they will only last a month or so. They are also a bit crunchier because they have not been cooked. If you can them they will last for years on the shelf. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  13. Recreational Gardener says

    Thanks for sharing your recipe! I made them last weekend, so I can’t wait to try them.

    Reply

  14. CJ Huang says

    I’m liking how you put kiddo in charge and then actually let them take charge. 🙂 These look like some scrumptious pickles!

    Reply

  15. Linda At Mixed Kreations says

    Those look delicious! I’m hoping that my cucumbers do well this year so I can make some pickles. It’s been years since I made my own. I want to give the icebox pickles a try they look easy and I love easy. Thanks for the recipe. Pinning!

    Reply

  16. Miz Helen says

    We love Refrigerator Pickles and like to have some in the Frig all the time. We will sure be trying your awesome recipe. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  17. Lynn says

    I love Refrigerator Pickles! I had to pop over and look at your recipe. Your’s were so beautiful all canned up.
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  18. Courtney's Cookbook says

    Ooh, this looks super easy, and I bet the result is delicious! I’ll have to try it!

    Reply

  20. Miz Helen says

    Congratulations!
    Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Enjoy your new Red Plate and have a great weekend.
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  21. DearCreatives (@DearCreatives) says

    Looks like such a great recipe. Now, I have two I want to try.Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & shared. See you again soon.

    Reply

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