Ah, homemade pickles. Everyone loves them, except when they don’t. They can be too soft, too salty, lacking flavor, or soggy. But this pickle recipe is the one you want.
Super crisp, packed with flavor, and easy as can be. This is one of the few occasions where the easy way to make something is also the best way to do it. The best homemade pickles are refrigerator pickles because a cold cucumber stays crisp. Even though they aren’t processed, they will keep in the fridge at least a couple months.
We prefer to make small batch refrigerator dill pickles, but if you want to double the recipe, that will work perfectly fine!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 pounds cucumbers (pickling cucumber are best)
- 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 16 sprigs fresh dill
Make sure you also have very clean jars!
Let’s make some pickles together!
The first step is to make the brine. You can do this a day ahead of time, if you like. It’s important to get the brine made up so it can start chilling. That way it will be nice and cold when you pour it over the cucumbers, and the cucumbers will stay crisp.
Heat up the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and stir, just until the salt and sugar dissolve. Then pour everything into a bowl or jar and add the cold water. Stir and pop the brine back in the fridge to get extra cold.
While the brine is chilling, prepare the picking cucumbers and the spices. This recipe will work with any size and shape pickle you would like: halves, spears, round slices for burgers, or oval slices for sandwiches.
Place the sliced cucumbers into the jars, as tightly as you can. Keep in mind that if you don’t have enough cucumbers in the jars, your brine won’t go all the way up to the top. So get them in there!
Place the garlic cloves, dill, red pepper, and peppercorns in the jars. They can go underneath the cucumbers as well, either way is fine.
Check the brine to make its cold and fill the jars with it. Place the lids back on and pop the pickle jars back into the fridge. They’ll need a day or two to develop their flavor.
Enjoy!
Refrigerator pickle FAQs
What’s the difference between pickling cucumbers and regular cucumbers?
Why not can these to make them shelf stable?
Can I alter this recipe?
More simple summertime preserving:
- Dill pickle relish is one of our favorites. Better than store bought, and not sweet!
- Oven dried strawberries are a simply, canning-free method of preservation.
- And don’t forget about your herbs! Learn how to use a dehydrator to preserve your basil.
- Be sure to read this list of practical canning tips and tricks before canning season starts.
Print the recipe here
Small Batch Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 pounds cucumbers pickling cucumber are best
- 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 16 sprigs fresh dill
Instructions
Prepare the Brine
- Heat the vinegar, kosher dalt, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat, add the water and stir. Cover the brine and place in the refrigerator until cool.
Prepare the Jars
- While the brine is chilling, prepare the cucumbers by slicing into rounds, spears, or halves. Smash the garlic cloves in half but do not mince or chop.
- Place the fresh dill and the peppercorns into two clean quart jars. Pack the fresh cucumbers inside as tightly as you can. Pour the brine on top.
- Cover the jars and place in the refrigerator. Allow them to chill at least a day before eating so that the flavor can develop. Will keep in the fridge 2 months.
My husband likes to reuse the brine to make pickled eggs🥴. He loves these pickles and says the brine makes the best pickled eggs!
The brine is also great for making a dirty martini! 🍸
Hey can i process these to make them shelf stable?
yes but they are better in the fridge! i’d recommend using pickle crisp!
Extremely easy to make and is one of our favorite pickles
This recipe is incredible. I have a little herb garden with a lot of dill and wanted to use some. This was the first time I ever made pickles and they were delicious. This is a keeper.
Renee! So happy you liked it. Fresh dill is the best; it will keep reseeding, and you’ll have it forever. Hope you enjoy the recipe year after year too.
This recipe sounds really great, but I am co fused about the garlic. Why do you mention not to mince or chop the garlic?
hey mandy i put the cloves in whole and they flavor the brine 😊
This was a fantastic recipe! My kids and I made three different flavors that turned out amazing. I do have a question. Can I reuse the brine to make more pickles? I feel like it would be safe but wasn’t sure. Maybe make new brine every couple of months? Regardless, we will never buy store pickles again. Thank you so much!
hi barbara! so glad you enjoy enjoyed the recipe! yes, you can reuse the brine a few times. just discard it after 3 uses or if it starts to get cloudy. 😊
These pickles look so good!!
Can’t wait to make some homemade pickles, my boys go through 4 jars a week 🙂
This is my new favorite pickle recipe! Can’t wait to make it again!!!
I love love pickles! Never knew how easy it was to make my own. Pinning!
This is such a great recipe!! My husband will be so surprised and happy!!! Thank you so much!!!
hi Ashley! I hope you and hubby enjoy your pickles 🙂