Homemade Freezer Pickles

4.91 from 31 votes

Crunchy, sweet, and tangy, these freezer pickes are homemade with love!

Prep Time1 10

Total Time1 10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: freezer pickles, homemade pickles

Servings: servings

Calories: 220kcal

7 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers (approximately 4 medium sized cucumbers)
2 - 3 yellow or sweet onions , peeled and thinly sliced
1 - 2 green bell peppers , seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp mustard seed
1 Tbsp celery seed

Add cucumbers, onions and green peppers (if using) in a large non-reactive mixing bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and stir to combine. Let sit for 1 hour. Transfer mixture to a colander to drain and rinse to remove excess salt.
Wipe out the same mixing bowl, then add drained and rinsed cucumber mixture back to the bowl.
In another small mixing bowl, combine sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seed and celery seed. Stir together to combine. If the sugar isn't mixing well, add bowl to the microwave (make sure it's microwave-safe!), and heat for 30 seconds or so, until the sugar will dissolve into the vinegar when stirred.
Pour liquid over the cucumber mixture in the bowl and stir to combine. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 full day. Transfer freezer pickles to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
To eat: Thaw pickles out in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, pickles should be eaten within 2 weeks. Enjoy on their own, on top of a burger, on top of hot dogs, on top of sandwiches, or however you'd like!

Pickling cucumbers worked best when I tested this recipe, but regular cucumbers will work in a pinch.
Peel the cucumbers if you don't like the bite of the cucumber skin.
Add a pinch of black pepper if you like a peppery bite.
I recommend freezing in smaller containers, so you can just thaw out 1 container at a time and keep the rest frozen for another time.
I've successfully frozen these pickles in glass containers (leave about 1/2" of headroom at the top to allow to expansion), plastic containers, and freezer-safe resealable plastic bags.