Are you a pickle lover but not interested in buying all the canning supplies necessary for making traditional pickles? Us too!
Luckily, there’s a delicious alternative that requires no special equipment and only 7 simple ingredients. Hello, refrigerator pickles!
How to Make Refrigerator Pickles
- Add cucumber slices, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and dill to a glass jar
- Heat vinegar in a saucepan (we like distilled vinegar in this recipe for a classic pickle taste)
- Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve
- Allow to cool, then pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers, making sure they’re completely submerged in the vinegar mixture
- Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour (or longer for more intense flavor)
We hope you LOVE these pickles. They’re:
Flavorful
Crunchy
Dill-y
Simple
& SO delicious!
They would make a delicious snack straight from the jar — or to accompany a veggie burger or sandwich!
If you try this recipe, let us know! We love seeing your comments, ratings, and photos tagged #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
More Quick Pickling Recipes
- Spicy Pickled Cauliflower (Escabeche)
- Quick Pickled Onions
- Quick Pickled Carrots
- Quick Pickled Radishes
Quick Refrigerator Pickles
A step-by-step guide for making quick pickled cucumbers. Only 7 ingredients required!
Servings 8 (~2-spear servings)
Ingredients
CUCUMBERS
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced into wedges
- 1 tsp coriander seed
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 handful fresh dill sprigs
BRINE
- 1 ½ cups white distilled vinegar
- 1 tsp organic cane sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Add cucumber slices to a large mason jar or glass container along with coriander seed, mustard seed, and dill. Set aside.
- To a small saucepan add distilled white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir to fully dissolve salt and sugar. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt or sugar to taste.
- Let the brine cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Once cooled, pour the brine over the cucumbers until your glass container is full. Ensure the cucumbers are fully submerged. If needed, add more vinegar or a little water to cover.
- Seal well and shake to combine. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The flavors will deepen and intensify the longer it marinates. Best flavor is achieved after 24 hours.
- Will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks (sometimes longer). Not freezer friendly.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Adapted from Once Upon a Chef.
*Adapted from Once Upon a Chef.
Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)
Serving: 1 two-spear servings Calories: 8 Carbohydrates: 1.7 g Protein: 0.3 g Fat: 0.2 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.09 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 585 mg Potassium: 45 mg Fiber: 0.4 g Sugar: 1 g Vitamin A: 37.81 IU Vitamin C: 0.92 mg Calcium: 8.09 mg Iron: 0.14 mg
Tina Clark says
Sooo delicious! I am never buying pickles again! Was wondering if it is ok to just keep re-using the brine and adding cucumbers to the jar.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Tina. You can definitely heat the brine again and repeat. Once the brine starts to look murky or cloudy, we’d suggest tossing it vs. using again.
Shirley Brown says
What a fun and easy recipe! These are great and I can’t wait to play with some variations on recipe. Thank you!
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Shirley!
Lee says
Hi, could you suggest another vinegar to use please?
Apple cider vinegar would be another option. Let us know how it goes!
Rebecca says
How much dried dill should I use in place of a “handful” of fresh dill? I tried making with a scant 1/4 cup dried dill and I didn’t like the taste, I’m wondering if my amount was just wrong or if I shouldn’t have substituted dried at all.
Hi Rebecca, fresh is best here, but dried should work. 1/4 cup dried is definitely too much though. We’d suggest 1-2 teaspoons.
Mechee Cherine says
Can I omit the vinegar for lemon juice?
We don’t think that would work, unfortunately. But maybe a different type of vinegar?
Rob says
I love you!!! And these cuke pickles! They’re so easy and so tasty 😄👍💚🌱☮️
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Rob! Thanks for the lovely review!
Rowan Skinner says
Hi there, just wondering if the jars need to be sterilized before making these quick pickles or if it is not necessary? First time doing this!
Thanks a bunch
It’s not necessary, but it may improve the shelf life. Hope that helps!
Sheri says
How long do these keep in the fridge? Thanx
At least 1 week, sometimes up to 2-3!
Sheri says
Nvm I see where the keep time is 🤦🏾♀️😅
nina says
Can I substitute lemon juice for the vinegar ? What would the measurement be then ?
Hi Nina, we wouldn’t recommend that in this recipe.
Nicole says
I wasn’t able to find coriander seeds or mustard seeds but I was able to find these spices ground. Should I try to dissolve these spices in step #2 with the salt and sugar?
We don’t think you need to dissolve them, but it probably wouldn’t hurt!
Lori says
Hi there,
I’m going to use this recipe for my first time canning. I remember my mom and aunt would sterilize the jars before using. Why isn’t that necessary for this recipe? Thanks for any help!
Sincerely,
New Canner
Yes if you’re canning then sterilize!
Amy says
Can you use the ground versions of the seasonings or does it need to be the seeds? Seeing if I can do this with what I have on hand. Also, do you think it would work to use culinary approved essential oils for Coriander and Dill?
Hi Amy, ground should be fine. We’re not sure about the essential oils though! Let us know if you do some experimenting.
Muskan Gupta says
Hey, can I use coriander leaves instead of dill leaves?
Hmm, we’ve never tried that. We don’t think they would hold up as well with the heat. Let us know if you try it!
Sakina says
Can I substitute the sugar?
Sure! Omit, reduce, or sub another sweetener of choice.
Sam says
I’m very confused because my results were inedible, the “pickles” don’t taste like pickles at all, they taste like pure vinegar. I tried eating the pickles after 16 hours and again well past 24 hours and both times they tasted so bad I had to spit them out (oddly, I don’t think the flavor got more potent with time).
I love pickles so would really love help figuring out what I did wrong! I thought I followed this recipe exactly but I didn’t read the instructions carefully enough the first time and did not refrigerate the brine (I just let it sitting on the counter for an hour) before adding it to the jars. Could this be what I did wrong? Or, do I need to add more salt and sugar to the vinegar next time? Any help would be very much appreciated.
Sorry for the confusion, Sam! If they’re tasting too strongly of vinegar, you can sub up to half the vinegar with water next time. We prefer ours quite acidic! And yes, cooling down the brine first will help preserve the crunchiness of the cucumbers!
Cathrine says
I was also wondering about pure vinegar. Where I live, the standard white vinegar is 30%, so one would probably not survive eating it in plain form.
Figured out that probably 4% (lowest possible acidity level for vinegar sold in shops) to 6% (modena balsamico) would be the strength suitable for this recepy.
B says
Of course, I had to add some spicy small red hot peppers to my mix. So tasty! Perfect timing to make those veggies last!