I make refrigerator pickles every so often but I have never made it an official recipe... until now! This is such a quick and simple way to preserve a small garden harvest or ensure that grocery store haul doesn't spoil before you have time to eat them all. This refrigerator pickle recipe can be prepared in 5 minutes or less with simple pantry ingredients.
No boil necessary
Flavour them how you like
Lasts for weeks (or months) in the fridge
And takes only minutes to make
Ingredients For Refrigerator Pickles
You may be wondering if you can make refrigerator pickles with any kind of cucumber. The answer is yes... but some varieties will produce a more crisp pickle than others.
Mini cucumbers like Persian or Lebanese-style cucumbers and Kirby cucumbers are best for pickling. They have thicker and sturdier skins which will hold up better to pickling. I have certainly made this recipe with English cucumbers when I have been desperate to preserve them before they spoil. The only difference will be that the English cucumbers will get much more soft in the brine.
If you are wanting to grow cucumbers that will be ideal for pickling Taste Of Home has a simple article with some suggestions.
Besides the cucumbers, you will need:
- Vinegar (white distilled, apple cider, rice, or white wine vinegar)
- Water
- Kosher or Sea Salt (optional)
- Cane sugar (optional)
- Extra flavourings like garlic cloves, black peppercorns, and dill
White distilled vinegar will give you the most classic sharp pickle taste. Adding some apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar can mellow out the sharpness and add a touch of sweetness.
The vinegar is necessary for preserving the cucumbers. If you want to omit the salt and sugar you can. Salt and sugar help to draw moisture out of the cucumbers which will keep them more crisp. They also help to balance out the sharpness of the vinegar. If you prefer to omit them however, you can do so.
A benefit to making quick pickles at home is that you can flavour them exactly how you like. You certainly don't need to add extra flavourings but common choices are garlic, peppercorns, dill, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, chili flakes, and bay leaves.
Method
This no boil refrigerator pickle recipe is so quick and easy. Many recipes call for heating a brine on the stovetop but if I don't need to dirty a pot, I would rather not!
Grab a sterilized 1 quart (32 oz or 1 litre) glass jar with a tight fitting lid. If you are using a smaller or larger jar a good rule of thumb is to keep the vinegar to water ratio equal. You can use a bit more water than vinegar but if you keep that ratio equal regardless of the size of your jar then you should safely preserve your cucumbers.
Simply:
- Combine salt, sugar, vinegar, and very hot water in you clean jar.
- Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Wash and slice your cucumbers into spears or rounds.
- Add cucumbers and any extra flavourings to the jar.
- Top off the jar with extra vinegar or a bit of water to fully submerge all the cucumbers.
- Secure a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.
Ideally, refrigerate for at least 24 hours to give the cucumbers time to pickle. Always remember to dig into the jar with a clean fork and they should last for at least 2-3 weeks but often up to 3 months.
You can use cold filtered water for this recipe. The only difference will be that it will take longer for the salt and sugar to dissolve so it might take a little bit longer for the cucumbers to pickle. I like to boil water in my electric kettle on the most delicate temperature setting and use that warm filtered water to dissolve the salt and sugar.
Recipe Cost For Quick Refrigerator Pickles
This refrigerator pickle recipe makes a 1 quart (32 oz or 1 litre) jar and costs me about $3.75 Canadian. Typically, if I purchase a 1 litre jar of pickles from my grocery store they will cost me about $5.50.
This is a fantastic way to preserve a small garden harvest and in that case, you are likely saving quite a bit having grown your own cucumbers!
Make sure to add your homemade pickles (and brine!) to my Creamy Vegan Potato Salad. I think you might also love my Quick Pickled Red Onion recipe!
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Quick Refrigerator Pickles
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 32 oz jar 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A no boil refrigerator pickle recipe that is ready in 5 minutes or less. No fuss, simple pantry ingredients, and flavoured how you like!
Ingredients
- 1 quart jar (32 oz or 1 litre)
- 1 tbsp sea salt or kosher salt (see notes for omitting)
- 1 tsp cane sugar (see notes for omitting)
- ⅔ cup vinegar (white, rice, apple cider, white wine or a combination)
- ⅔ cup hot water
- 6 mini cucumbers (14 oz, see notes for varieties)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- Sprigs of dill
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Start with a sterilized 32 oz jar. (If using smaller or larger jars a good rule of thumb is to keep the vinegar to water ratio equal. You can safely quick pickle with slightly less vinegar to water, just keep in mind that the pickles might only last for 2-3 weeks in the fridge instead of 1-3 months).
- Add the salt, sugar, vinegar, and hot water to the jar and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Wash and slice your cucumbers into spears or rounds.
- Add the cucumbers, garlic, peppercorns and dill to the jar. (You can omit extra spices and herbs or add even more. Mustard seeds, chili flakes, and coriander seeds are great additions).
- Top off the jar with extra vinegar or cold water to fully submerge the cucumbers.
- Secure a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.
- Ideally refrigerate for 1 day before enjoying so the cucumbers have time to pickle. Best enjoyed within 2-3 weeks but may last for a month or more. Always ensure that a clean fork is used to pull the pickles out so the jar stays free of contaminants.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $3.75 Canadian vs. roughly $5.50 for store-bought pickles. This is a great way to quickly preserve a small garden harvest!
I personally enjoy a combination of white distilled vinegar and apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar for a less intense pickle. Using all white distilled vinegar will produce a sharp, crisp, and classic pickle. Adding some apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar will soften the flavour a little bit and add a touch of sweetness.
Most mini cucumbers I find in my stores are Persian or Lebanese-style cucumbers. Kirby cucumbers are small, have bumpy skin, and are great for pickling as well. You can make refrigerator pickles with english cucumbers to preserve them but know that they will get softer than a crisp pickling cucumber.
You can safely quick pickle cucumbers with just vinegar and water. Salt helps to draw moisture out of the cucumbers and keep them more crisp in addition to balancing the sharpness of the vinegar. Sugar also acts to balance the flavour but both the sugar and salt can be omitted if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Thrifty How-Tos
- Method: No-Boil
- Cuisine: Jewish
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