Quick Refrigerator Pickles

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Top angle shot of a jar of Refrigerator Pickles

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!

Cucumber, dill, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and other ingredients for making Refrigerator Pickles

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles

  1. Add cucumber slices, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and dill to a glass jar
  2. Heat vinegar in a saucepan (we like distilled vinegar in this recipe for a classic pickle taste)
  3. Add sugar and salt and stir to dissolve
  4. Allow to cool, then pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers, making sure they’re completely submerged in the vinegar mixture
  5. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour (or longer for more intense flavor)
Stirring a saucepan of vinegar for making Quick Pickled Cucumbers

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

Jar of Quick Pickled Cucumbers made with mustard seeds, dill, and coriander seeds

Quick Refrigerator Pickles

A step-by-step guide for making quick pickled cucumbers. Only 7 ingredients required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Jar of cucumber spears made into Refrigerator Pickles
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 8 (~2-spear servings)
Course Side
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2-3 weeks

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

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

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  1. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

  2. 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!

  3. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      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.

  4. 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

      • 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?

  5. 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

  6. 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?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Amy, ground should be fine. We’re not sure about the essential oils though! Let us know if you do some experimenting.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          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!

  7. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      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!

  8. 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!