Quick and Delicious Refrigerator Dill Pickles Recipe for Small Batches

These refrigerator dill pickles are the best – they’re super crispy and bursting with flavor, and the best part? No canning is required, and they’re ready in just a few minutes.

Packed with garlic, dill, and a hint of spice, they’re perfect for snacking or adding to sandwiches. Making them this way is the best way to do it.

two quart jars of small batch dill pickles

Small Batch Refrigerator Dill Pickles

The crispest and most delicious refrigerator pickles with garlic, dill, and a hint of spice. This recipe makes a small batch and is ready in just a few minutes. No canning required.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 day
Total Time 1 day 30 minutes
Serving Size 12

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 and dissolve. Combine the vinegar, kosher salt, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
  • Cool the brine. Remove from heat and add the cold water. Stir to combine, cover the saucepan, and place it in the refrigerator to cool.

Prepare the Jars

  • Slice the cucumbers. Slice the cucumbers into rounds, spears, or halves while the brine is chilling.
  • Smash the garlic. Smash the garlic cloves in half, but do not mince or chop.
  • Pack the jars. Place 8 sprigs of fresh dill and 1 tablespoon of peppercorns into each of the two clean quart jars. Then, pack the cucumber slices tightly into the jars. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to each jar if you want a hint of spice.

Add the Brine

  • Pour the brine. After the brine has cooled down, pour it over the cucumbers in the jars, making sure that they are completely covered.
  • Chill and store. Cover the jars with lids and put them in the fridge. Let the pickles chill for at least a day before eating to let the flavors develop. The pickles will stay good in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Video

Notes

For the crunchiest pickles, use small, firm cucumbers like Kirby or pickling cucumbers. It’s best to avoid large, seedy cucumbers, as they can end up mushy.
If you want your pickles to be extra crispy, consider adding a few grape leaves or a pinch of calcium chloride (Pickle Crisp) to each jar. These ingredients help the pickles stay firm.
You can easily change up the recipe by adding different spices to the jars. For example, try adding 1/4 teaspoon of mustard seed in each jar, or extra garlic or red pepper.
Fresh dill will give you the best flavor. If you’re using dried dill, use less of it and consider adding it directly to the brine.
You can also adjust the spice level according to your preference. If you prefer milder pickles, you can reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
Calories: 29kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1747mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

More Tips:

Cut your cucumbers into even slices, whether they are rounds, spears, or halves, to make sure that they all pickle at the same rate and have a consistent texture.

Make sure the brine is completely cooled before pouring it over the cucumbers. Using hot brine can slightly cook the cucumbers, making them less crisp.

Pack the cucumbers tightly in the jar to keep them from floating, making sure that all cucumbers are fully submerged in the brine.

Even though you’re not canning, it’s important to use clean jars. You can sterilize them by boiling them or running them through a hot dishwasher cycle.

Give the jars a gentle shake every few days to redistribute the spices and brine, ensuring even flavor throughout the pickles.

Allow the pickles to sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before tasting. The longer they sit, the more the flavors develop – they’ll taste even better after a week!

Serving Suggestions

Serve these delicious pickles with grilled hamburgers, deli sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards, fried chicken, or BBQ pulled pork sliders.

Key Ingredients and Tools

Here are some important items to make tasty dill pickles.

  • Pickling Cucumbers: These small, firm cucumbers are best for pickling as they stay crunchy. Look for them in the produce section, usually labeled as “Kirby” or “pickling cucumbers.”
  • Kosher Salt: This type of salt is vital because it doesn’t contain additives that can make the brine cloudy.
  • Whole Peppercorns: These provide a subtle spice and flavor to the pickles and can be found in the spice aisle.
  • Fresh Dill: Fresh dill offers the best flavor and can usually be found in the fresh herbs section of the grocery store.
  • Quart Jars: These jars are perfect for storing pickles and submerging them in the brine. You can find them in the kitchenware section or online.

These tools and ingredients will make sure your pickles turn out crunchy, flavorful, and delicious!

Here are some ingredient alternatives for the recipe:

  • Pickling Cucumbers: You can swap pickling cucumbers with small Persian cucumbers for a similar crunch.
  • Kosher Salt: Use sea salt instead, but avoid table salt to prevent cloudiness.
  • Whole Peppercorns: Replace whole peppercorns with coarsely ground black pepper.
  • Fresh Dill: If you don’t have fresh dill, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried dill weed for every 1 sprig of fresh dill, but the flavor won’t be as vibrant.
  • Quart Jars: Any clean, food-safe containers with tight-fitting lids will work for quart jars.

Remember that these substitutions might slightly alter the outcome, but feel free to try them if needed.

pickling cucumbers, salt, sugar, white vinegar, red pepper, garlic, and dill all in containers

Storage Instructions

You can keep the pickles in the fridge for up to 2 months. Remember to seal the jars tightly to keep them fresh and avoid spills.

This recipe doesn’t work well for freezing because it can make the cucumbers mushy and lose their crunch.

It’s best to store your pickles in the fridge and eat them within 2 months for the best flavor and texture.

Making your own dill pickles for the fridge is so simple and rewarding. With just a few easy steps and basic ingredients, you’ll have delicious, crunchy pickles ready to enjoy.

They’re perfect for snacking, adding to sandwiches, or serving at a barbecue. Trust me, once you try these homemade pickles, they’ll soon become your favorite.

two quart jars of small batch dill pickles
picture of smiling female

By Katie Shaw

Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.

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Recipe Rating




19 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I accidentally put the red pepper flakes and the peppercorns in with the vinegar boil. Do you know how this will affect the taste?

  2. My husband likes to reuse the brine to make pickled eggs🥴. He loves these pickles and says the brine makes the best pickled eggs!

  3. 5 stars
    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.

  4. This recipe sounds really great, but I am co fused about the garlic. Why do you mention not to mince or chop the garlic?

  5. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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. 😊

  6. 5 stars
    This is my new favorite pickle recipe! Can’t wait to make it again!!!