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Home / Pantry/Kitchen Basics

Refrigerator Pickles

5
/5
15 minutes minutes
116 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 06/03/2025

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Homemade refrigerator pickles require zero canning expertise or equipment! Crisp, zesty, and packed with a punch of amazing flavor - you have to try them!
Homemade refrigerator pickles require zero canning expertise or equipment! Crisp, zesty, and packed with a punch of amazing flavor - you have to try them!
Homemade refrigerator pickles require zero canning expertise or equipment! Crisp, zesty, and packed with a punch of amazing flavor - you have to try them!
Homemade refrigerator pickles require zero canning expertise or equipment! Crisp, zesty, and packed with a punch of amazing flavor - you have to try them!

Homemade refrigerator pickles require zero canning expertise or equipment! Crisp, zesty, and packed with a punch of amazing flavor – you have to try them!

This is one of my Pantry/Basics recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

glass jar with dill pickles
Pin this recipe for later!

Do you ever get a craving for the perfect crisp dill pickle?  We’re dill obsessed in this house, and I’ve been on a mission to make the perfect pickles.

For me, the perfect pickle is crisp, with a good snap when you bite into it.  It’s bold and zesty, filled with garlic-dill flavor, and just a tiny bit of kick.  It’s also made with the freshest cucumbers.

The problem is, the time of year when cucumbers are at their peak freshness, is also one of the hottest times of the year around here.  Definitely not when I want to be dragging out canning equipment and boiling a bunch of water.

That’s the genius of these refrigerator pickles, theres’ NO canning required!  Just make a quick brine, add it to the cucumbers and flavor aromatics (garlic, peppercorns, mustard seeds, etc), seal and refrigerate.  Easy peasy!

Why you’ll love this recipe!

  • Customize-able – these pickles are yours to tweak so that they’re just what you’re looking for.
  • Homemade – with homemade pickles you don’t have to worry about what preservatives are in them, or if any food dye was added.
jar of dill pickles with brine

What do I need to make this recipe?

  • Cucumbers – I find pickling cucumbers (sometimes called Kirby or salad cucumbers) worked best.
  • Water – nothing fancy, just plain tap water.
  • Vinegar – I prefer white or apple cider vinegar for this recipe.
  • Salt – there’s a hefty amount of salt in this recipe, but they’re not salty. The salt is part of the pickling process.
  • Sugar – the small amount of sugar helps balance all the savory flavors.
  • Dill – I find fresh dill is best.
  • Garlic – Just as with the dill, fresh garlic is best.
  • Peppercorns – I use black peppercorns, but any variety would be good.
  • Mustard seeds – this is standard in pickling.
  • Red pepper flakes – this adds a touch of heat that rounds out the flavors.
  • Celery seed – the celery seed adds a subtle yet delicious flavor.

How to make homemade pickles:

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

  1. Slice cucumbers and prepare jars.  If slicing into rounds, cut the slices about 1/4″ thick.  I like to use glass canning jars, but technically, since these pickles aren’t canned, you can use plastic containers, as long as they have airtight lids.
  2. Make brine and cool.  Combine the water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a saucepan, and heat until solids are dissolved.  Let cool to room temperature.
  3. Add cucumbers and other ingredients to jars.  When adding cucumbers to jars, make sure you leave enough room for the dill, garlic, mustard seed, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes and celery seed, plus the brine.
  4. Add brine.  Pour in enough brine to cover the cucumbers, making sure to leave a 1/2″ or so at the top. 
  5. Seal and refrigerate.  Seal jars to be airtight and refrigerate for at least 5 days.  Pickles will last 4-6 weeks after those 5 days.

Helpful Tip!

The best pickles are made with the freshest ingredients, especially the cucumbers.  The cucumber skin should be firm, with no deep blemishes.  Try to find consistently sized cucumbers, so your pickles will be uniform in size.

pouring brine into jar with cucumbers

Variations of this recipe

  • Sweet – these are definitely not sweet pickles, but if you’d like them more on the sweet side, feel free to increase the sugar amount.  I’ve not experimented to come up with the perfect amount, but I’d suggest to try 1/2 cup and go from there.
  • Spicy – I made these a mild heat level to accommodate most palates, but if you want more of a kick, feel free to add as much red pepper flakes as you want.  You could also add some sliced jalapenos, or Thai chiles for some extra heat.
  • Cucumbers – I found the cucumbers that had the best crunch were the pickling cucumbers.  They may also be labeled as Kirby, or salad cucumbers.  They’re shorter than regular cucumbers, with a bumpy and sometimes lighter skin.  If you can’t find them, English cucumbers will work as well.  They may also be labeled as hothouse or seedless cucumbers.
  • Other veggies – I haven’t specifically tested this brine with other veggies, but I think it would work well with green beans, carrots, cauliflower, etc.  Whatever you normally like to pickle.
Holding homemade pickle chips

FAQ’s

How is there no canning in this recipe?

These are refrigerator pickles, so they stay nice and crisp/fresh just in the refrigerator. However if you wanted to experiment with canning this recipe, you’re certainly welcome too. I just don’t have the canning expertise to advise you.

Making pickles ahead of time

Pickles are a natural make-ahead recipe, as the recipes are designed to be made a little while before you eat them.  This recipe was developed so the pickles have a week to sit in the refrigerator.

As tempting as it may be to break the seal and go to town before then, they really taste best when left to sit.

Storage

Refrigerator pickles are good for 4-6 weeks, when kept refrigerated and the lids are sealed after each use.

I like to take a permanent marker and write down the date I made the pickles on the lid, so I’ll know when it’s been 4-6 weeks.  Honestly, our pickles never last that long before we devour them!

cucumber slices with dill in glass jar

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This recipe was originally posted in June 2020, but has been updated in 2025 with additional information.

jars

My Favorite Jars!

I prefer these wide-mouth jars, as they’re easier to fill.

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Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

glass jar with dill pickles

Refrigerator Pickles

5 from 48 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Calories: 161
Servings: 2 pint-size jars
(hover over # to adjust)
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Crisp and zesty, these refrigerator pickles are packed with a punch of amazing flavor – you have to try them!

Ingredients

  • 6-7 pickling cucumbers
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1/2-1 tsp granulated sugar
  • fresh dill
  • 4-6 cloves garlic peeled and smashed/roughly chopped
  • 10 whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp whole yellow mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • pinch celery seed

Instructions

Prepare

  • Slice 6-7 pickling cucumbers into slices about 1/4" thick, or into spears. Gather glass jars and lids. Set aside.

Make the brine

  • In a saucepan, add 2 cups water, 1 cup white vinegar, 1 Tbsp kosher salt, and 1/2-1 tsp granulated sugar (if using), and heat, stirring occasionally, over MED HIGH heat until sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Assemble jars

  • While brine is cooling, add cucumbers to jars. Make sure to leave enough room for the brine and other ingredients.
  • Add fresh dill, 4-6 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp whole yellow mustard seeds, 10 whole black peppercorns, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and pinch celery seed.
  • Pour in enough brine to cover the cucumbers, making sure to leave a 1/2" or so at the top. Seal jars to be airtight.

Chill

  • Refrigerate for at least 5 days. Pickles will last 4-6 weeks after those 5 days, but will lose some of their crispness towards the end of their "shelf" life.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. Recipe makes enough for 2 pint-size jars, or one quart-size jar.  Can easily be doubled, tripled, etc for larger batches.
  2. The amount of dill is left unspecified, as this will vary from person to person.
  3. Whole pickles or half pickles can be made, but I would prick the skin of the cucumber a few times with a fork to allow the brine to penetrate the skin.

Video

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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5 from 48 votes

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Recipe Rating




  1. Vickie says

    Posted on 7/19 at 4:54 pm

    I forgot to add dill yesterday. Can I open jars from fridge today and add dill?
    Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/22 at 8:37 pm

      I’ve never done it in that order before, so I can’t say for certain, but I think that would work well 🙂

      Reply
  2. Charlotte says

    Posted on 7/11 at 8:09 pm

    I just made these with a bunch of my homegrown cucumbers! It smelt amazing and it is such an easy recipe! Will definitely be adding it to my rotation of summer canning. I’m so excited to try them in a few days when they are done! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Julie says

    Posted on 7/11 at 11:17 am

    Can your you do water-bath canning with this recipe?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/12 at 8:57 pm

      While I’m sure it could be water bath canned, I don’t have the canning expertise to advise you on the specifics. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
  4. Rosie says

    Posted on 7/8 at 11:14 am

    Couldn’t wait to make these again this garden season. I use the pickles and dill that I grow in my garden. I’ve never received less than rave reviews and requests for more!

    Reply
  5. Erika says

    Posted on 6/17 at 4:38 pm

    These were fantastic. Made slices & spears and both turned out excellent. Reminded me a lot of grillo’s which are my favorite store pickle and I’m thrilled to be able to so easily make a great version at home.

    Reply
  6. Diana says

    Posted on 5/28 at 9:08 pm

    This is a great pickle recipe! I made them weekly last summer & have already made a batch this year. They stay so crisp & fresh tasting & the spices are the perfect combination.

    Reply
  7. Sandra D says

    Posted on 5/9 at 4:08 pm

    Made these today – I knew I’d get 3 pints from that amount of liquid and 2 large English cucumbers (cut into almost 1/2 inch pieces), so I threw all the other ingredients into the liquid while it cooled down (I didn’t have fresh dill, so I used dried dill weed – about 1/2 a tsp).

    Now, I wait. Will report back, but they very were easy to do, so I’m hoping to have as positive a rating as many of your readers have made.

    Reply
  8. Terri says

    Posted on 10/31 at 2:16 pm

    The best pickles by far!!

    Reply
  9. mike says

    Posted on 10/11 at 1:22 am

    how long do refrigerator pickles last unopened and in the fridge

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/11 at 9:24 am

      All the storage details are found in the “Storage” section of the post above the recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Pat says

        Posted on 11/28 at 12:27 am

        All you had to say was ‘4-6 weeks…the end!

        Reply
        • The Chunky Chef says

          Posted on 11/28 at 8:56 am

          I did… in the post.

          Reply
  10. Karen says

    Posted on 10/1 at 7:59 pm

    These are great… and so easy! I made a few changes based on what I had on hand. I added extra dill and garlic. Since I didn’t have kosher salt I used sea salt. I didn’t use the peppercorns, celery seed, mustard seed or pepper flakes since I didn’t have any on hand. I didn’t have fresh dill either so I used dill weed. I made chunks, spears and slices (both round and lenghwise) My family thought they were fantastic!! Will definitely make these again.

    Reply
  11. Melanie says

    Posted on 9/20 at 7:13 pm

    Can you add more cucumbers to the brine once you’ve eaten most of the original pickles? Or does the brine need to be remade every time?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/20 at 8:26 pm

      I haven’t tested this recipe using the same brine, so I can’t say for certain whether that would work as well. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
      • Stephanie says

        Posted on 11/1 at 1:33 pm

        I made a recipe like this, (I’m not sure which one) but the pickles started getting low, so I just kept putting more cucumbers in it, I did that maybe 3 times, everytime I’d wait a couple days, then eat them…. The older ones were obviously more flavorful, but the newer ones were still pretty darn good. I would say it works, at least for a little while.

        Reply
  12. Jill says

    Posted on 9/4 at 8:31 pm

    I have a container of pickling spice with mustard seed, coriander seed, cloves, chili peppers, bay leaves . Do you have a recommendation on how much I should in your recipe instead of the measurements of the individual spices? Thanks!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/5 at 8:58 am

      Hi Jill, I really couldn’t say with any certainty, since this recipe wasn’t developed or tested using pre-made pickling spices.

      Reply
    • Roseanne says

      Posted on 7/18 at 8:30 pm

      Hi
      I’ve made this both ways. The original, yum, and with premade pickling spices. They are both good. There are a few more spices like bay leaf in the premade version. I usually eyeball it depending the on size of the jar you are using but I’d say approximately 1 teaspoon to a pint. More or less depending on how spicy you like your pickles. I also add a dried hot pepper for a little zing. If you like these then try CC’s Candied Jalapeños!

      Reply
  13. Cauline says

    Posted on 9/4 at 7:12 pm

    On the recipe for refrigerator pickles are these ingredients per jar? 10 peppercorns per jar or divided amongst the 2 jars?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 9/4 at 8:10 pm

      It’s per batch, so if you’re using 2 pint sized jars, you’ll put 5 peppercorns in each 🙂

      Reply
  14. CK says

    Posted on 8/25 at 4:52 pm

    Excellent

    Reply
  15. Char Mercier says

    Posted on 8/24 at 11:14 pm

    I always made a sweet, spicy refrigerator pickle but decided to try the Dills. Totally love them and they were so easy.

    Reply
  16. Fiona Bell says

    Posted on 8/24 at 10:04 pm

    Best pickles I’ve ever made! I made 2 batches in the past 2 weeks and have another 4 quarts in the fridge. Brought some in for my coworkers to try and now they are asking for their own jars 🙂 Luckily these are super easy and inexpensive to make. For those interested, Chunky Chef’s clam chowder is amazing too….

    Reply
    • Vickie says

      Posted on 7/19 at 4:47 pm

      So you allow the brine to cool and poor over cucumbers and seasonings and just add a lid and refrigerate?

      Reply
      • The Chunky Chef says

        Posted on 7/22 at 8:38 pm

        Yes 🙂

        Reply
  17. Hawk says

    Posted on 8/11 at 11:58 am

    I made 2 pint jars of the Cowboy Candy jalapeño and gave one to my daughter and one to my youngest son and they raved about them and couldn’t get enough so I just made (8)1/2 pints and will be giving them away as gifts. Now I’m going to make the refrigerator pickles and I now they will be great, Thankyou for sharing your recipes.

    Reply
  18. Nicole says

    Posted on 8/6 at 10:20 pm

    I made these for the first time this year. Absolutely love them. My daughter-in-law is expecting and she keeps putting in her “order” for the next batch. 😂 Instead of sugar I’ve used monk fruit.

    Reply
  19. JULIE says

    Posted on 7/28 at 12:53 pm

    Could Red Wine Vinegar be used in place of the white?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/28 at 9:45 pm

      I haven’t made this with red wine vinegar, so I can’t say for certain. If you experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
  20. Cathy says

    Posted on 7/27 at 8:18 pm

    Hi,
    Do you think these could be frozen like your other recipe that’s more like the bread and butter version?

    Thank you

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/27 at 8:53 pm

      I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, so I can’t say for certain, but if you do some experimenting I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
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