Refrigerator Pickles To Make All Summer

When the cucumber harvest outpaces your ability to eat them, make refrigerator pickles. Quick refrigerator pickles are a great way to use up pounds of cucumbers at once. They'll be ready to eat within 12 hours and last up to two weeks, so if you keep a pickle-making plan on your weekly agenda, you'll never be left empty handed.

Learn how to make refrigerator pickles. No special equipment is needed, so you'll never be left without this pucker-inducing side.

What Are Refrigerator Pickles?

Refrigerator pickles are pickled cucumbers (or other vegetables) that are pickled overnight in the fridge without the process of canning. For this reason, refrigerator pickles can only be stored in the fridge for two weeks, versus much longer out of the fridge for pickles that are heated and sealed through canning.

Refrigerator Pickles Ingredients

To make refrigerator pickles, you'll need only a handful of ingredients and fresh cucumbers:

• Cucumbers: For best results, use small or Kirby cucumbers. They are more tender, with thinner skins, so they pickle more easily and have a better texture after sitting in the pickle brine.
• Dill sprigs: Provides the classic dill flavor you expect from pickle wedges.
• Garlic cloves: Garlic is necessary for flavor and a bit of bite that helps bolster the other flavors in the pickles.
• White wine vinegar: You can use other types of vinegar for pickle-making, but we're fond of white wine vinegar for this recipe because it's less assertive than distilled vinegar but still provides plenty of tang and zip.
• Kosher salt: For seasoning the cucumbers. There is less salt in this recipe than kosher dill pickles because these are not canned for long-term storage.
• Granulated sugar: A bit of sweetness helps to balance all the flavors of the pickles.
• Black peppercorns: Seasons the pickles with some heat.
• Mustard seeds: Classic pickle ingredient, often found in pickling spice.
• Fennel seeds: Provides a slightly sweet, licorice-like flavor to the brine. Also typically found in pickling spice.
• Crushed red pepper: One additional source of heat, though these pickles are not spicy.
• Cold water: Added to the vinegar mixture to make the brine.

How To Make Refrigerator Pickles

You'll need just 10 minutes of active prep time for this easy refrigerator pickles recipe—and 12 hours in all.

• Step 1. Prepare the jars: First, divide the cucumbers, dill, and garlic cloves evenly between two jars, and set the jars aside. We like Weck jars because the lid is attached and comes with a rubber ring to seal the jars shut. But any jar with a well-fitting lid will work.
• Step 2. Make pickle brine: Cook the vinegar, salt, sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper in a saucepan. Stir often until the sugar is completely dissolved. There's no need to boil this for any length of time. Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in cold water.
• Step 3. Add brine to jars: Now pour the brine into both jars. You may have more brine than you need. That's OK. You can dump out that leftover liquid—or use it as a brine for chicken tenders or in salad dressing.
• Step 4. Let the pickles sit: Seal the lids, and chill the pickles in the fridge until the flavors meld—a minimum of 12 hours.

How Long Do Refrigerator Pickles Last?

Store these refrigerator pickles in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours to allow the cucumbers to soak up the flavors of the brine. After that, you may store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. (They are not shelf stable.)

Do You Have To Boil the Brine for Refrigerator Pickles?

This recipe calls for heating the vinegar, salt, sugar, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper together in a saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved, but there is no need to bring the brine to a boil before pouring it into the jars.

What Is the Difference Between Refrigerator Pickles and Canned Pickles?

Unlike canned pickles, refrigerator pickles are not processed through a water bath canner. That means they have a short window of time—about two weeks—where you can eat them after they're made. They are not meant for long-term storage.

Because canned pickles are processed with a water bath canner, they are shelf stable, and store-bought versions can be stored in the pantry at room temperature for years.

Refrigerator Pickles Variations

This recipe for refrigerator pickles doesn't call for a lot of special ingredients, but there are a few things you can do if you decide to make it to make the final spears a little more to your liking.

• Try other cucumbers: We call for Kirby cucumbers by name because we like the final texture once they're pickled; they're also the iconic pickling cucumber. But you can use other varieties, including English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers.
  
• Change shapes: Pickle wedges are great because they're the perfect side dish for sandwiches, pulled pork, or burgers, but you can make this same recipe with sliced cucumbers if you prefer.
• Change foods altogether: You don't have to use cucumbers for this recipe. Reach for okra, green beans, even cherry tomatoes. You still will have a short window in which they should be eaten, but pickling can be delicious for all sorts of vegetables.
• Add some heat: This recipe has bite from fresh garlic, black peppercorns, and crushed red pepper, but you can amp up the spice by pickling the cucumbers with pepper slices, like jalapeño.