Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Refrigerator dill pickles are crispy, flavorful, beautiful, and last a very long time in the refrigerator!
We do a LOT of canning and preserving of the garden harvest in our home. Even though we water-bath can pickles to last through winter, they aren’t our preference. During cucumber season, we love to eat refrigerator dill pickles.
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Because they don’t need any heating, the cucumbers maintain a lot of vitamins and also have a crunchy bite.
Another thing that sets this refrigerator dill pickles recipe apart is they last longer in the refrigerator. The reason for that is I coat cucumbers in salt to release their extra water prior to adding the vinegar and water mixture. It’s an extra step but it’s worth it.
Watch out, these pickles are very addictive (but in the best way!)
Tips for Awesome Refrigerator Dill Pickles
- Don’t skip the salt soak time. It’s required for this recipe and reducing that time short means that the pickles will not be salty enough and they will not last very long in the refrigerator.
- If you have too much vinegar mixture or not enough pickles to fill all the jars, don’t fret. I did my best to get the recipes as accurate as possible but because of the varying cuts and sizes of pickles, there is no way to get it absolutely exact. If you have extra brine, it can be saved for a future batch of refrigerator dill pickles!
- These pickles need at LEAST 24 hours for pickle chips to soak in the flavors of the vinegar mixture and seasonings. If making spears give them at least 2 days before eating. For full dill flavor, wait 5-7 days before eating!
FAQ
 No, they are not safe for canning, the brine is not acidic enough.
Yes, you can freeze them! If freezing, cut the cucumbers into slices. Whole pickles or spears get too mushy when thawed. Let them sit in the refrigerator for a day or two to let the brine soak in, then you can transfer them to the freezer. When you want to eat them, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the refrigerator. Freeze for one year max in a freezer safe container.
No, you can omit it! However, I do recommend adding it because the sugar in these pickles doesn’t make them sweet, it just takes the edge off the strong vinegar bite. It’s a very small amount!
If you don’t have fresh dill you can omit it. Instead of a ½ teaspoon of dill seed per jar, use 1 teaspoon.Â
How to Make Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Step 1: Slice and Salt the Cucumbers
The most important part is to cut off the bottom of the cucumber or blossom end. Next, You can cut cucumbers to your liking. They can be whole, sliced lengthwise, sliced widthwise, or cut into spears. The fancy wavy pickle cutters are fun to use too!
Place cucumbers in a large bowl. Pour the salt on the cucumbers and stir until salt is throughly mixed in. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
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Step 2: Prepare the Jars and Add Dill and Seasonings
While the cucumbers are sitting, it’s a perfect time to prepare the jars. Since this is not a canning recipe, the jars don’t need to be sterile, just nice and clean. Add in one garlic clove to each jar, a fresh dill spring, ½ teaspoon of mustard seed, and ½ teaspoon dill seed.
Step 3: Prepare the Vinegar Mixture
Combine the water, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl or pot. Do not heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Step 4: Drain Cucumbers (do not rinse)
After the cucumbers have set for the full three hours, drain the liquid from the cucumbers. Do not rinse them.
Step 5: ​​Place cucumbers in jars, add vinegar mixture, add a lid, and Refrigerate!
Load the cucumbers into the jars. It’s very important not to pack them in too tight or smash them down because cucumbers bruise easily.
Pour the prepared vinegar mixture over the cucumbers until they are completely covered.
Cap off the jars with either a two piece canning lid (you can reuse an old one since there is no canning or seal needed) or another lid that will fit the jar. Really anything works and you can use a recycled glass jar and lid for these refrigerator dill pickles!
Finally, store in the refrigerator. These pickles can last for at least 1-2 months. To be completely transparent, we eat ours so fast I’ve never had them in the fridge for more than a month and a half!
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pickling cucumbers (about 8 cups)
- 2 tablespoons sea salt or pickling salt
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 4 fresh dill springs
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons dill seeds
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Trim the ends of the cucumbers. Then slice cucumbers to your liking. They can be whole, sliced lengthwise, sliced widthwise, or cut into spears.
- Place cucumbers in a large bowl. Pour the salt on the cucumbers and stir until salt is throughly mixed in. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- While the cucumbers are sitting, add in one garlic clove to each jar, a fresh dill spring, ½ teaspoon of mustard seed, and ½ teaspoon dill seed.
- Combine the water, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl or pot. Do not heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- After the cucumbers have set for the full three hours, drain the liquid from the cucumbers. Do not rinse them.
- Load the cucumbers into the jars. It’s very important not to pack them in too tight or smash them down because cucumbers bruise easily.
- Pour the prepared vinegar mixture over the cucumbers until they are completely covered.
- Cap off the jars with either a two piece canning lid (you can reuse an old one since there is no canning or seal needed) or another lid that will fit the jar. Really anything works and you can use a recycled glass jar and lid for these refrigerator dill pickles!
- Finally, store in the refrigerator. These pickles can last for at least 1-2 months. To be completely transparent, we eat ours so fast I’ve never had them in the fridge for more than a month and a half!
