Easy Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles Jar-by-Jar (Better Than Canned!)
Quick and easy refrigerator garlic dill pickles require no processing and can be put up in minutes and stays crisp for up to a year with amazing flavor. Customize them to be as garlicky, dilly, or spicy as you’d like. Much better than canned, you can even make them one jar at a time as your cucumbers ripen.
✩ What readers are saying…
“Oh. My. Goodness! I made these last year with “cocktail” cucumbers from Costco – maybe next year I’ll get my garden in earlier and be able to grow my own. Without a doubt, the BEST PICKLES EVER!!” -Linda
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After making and canning jams and salsa, pickles were the next thing I made on my self-taught canning journey.
First, all that vinegar meant they were super safe, so my newbie-canner self didn’t need to worry about that, and second, I love small pickles even though I hate cucumbers (go figure)! Growing my own and picking them as small as I like was the answer.
I started with traditional water-bath canned dill pickles so they could be stored on a shelf, but quickly moved to pickles that are stored in the refrigerator, or “refrigerator pickles.”
Why Make Refrigerator Pickles?
Here are a few reasons why I (and my family) came to prefer the refrigerator pickles:
- They stay crisp.
- They stay crisp.
- They stay crisp.
Yep, it’s the main reason why I don’t water-bath can them anymore. Even with classic traditions of grape leaves and/or alum, canned pickles just don’t have that sharp snap that we’ve come to love.
But there are actually five MORE reasons why you might want to preserve your pickles this way too:
- They take less time. I can finish a quart in less than 20 minutes.
- If you’re growing the cucumbers, you can do 1 or 2 quarts at a time as they ripen. This is especially good for small gardens that can only fit a few cucumber plants and would never have enough for a full canner load.
- There’s no heating the house with a canner on the stove during the height of summer (it’s 104 in the shade at my house today!).
- The recipe can be altered with seasonings and garlic without the risk of food poisoning that comes with playing around with recipes for water-bath canners.
- You can use any glass jars and lids, even recycled mayo and olive jars, unlike when canning.
Okay – but how long do refrigerator pickles last?
Guess what? I’ve eaten pickles from jars that are 18 months old and they were wonderful!
That said, I’m going to say that in general, 9-12 months is the ideal time to store them. So plan to make as many quarts as you need to last that long (for us, that’s about a jar a month to get us into the next cucumber season).
Here’s an important safety note about home canned pickles:
I know there are some people that “can” their pickles this way all the time, just letting the heat from the vinegar mixture “seal” the jars (a process known as “open kettle” canning) before storing them on a shelf without any water-bath canning.
The people who have done this – for many years in some cases – say that “nothing has happened” in their experience. I hear and read this all.the.time.
However, the USDA says that this practice is not secure and that there is a danger of food poisoning as well as spoilage. Here’s a good article on the subject.
My take on it is this: IF the rare occurrence did in fact happen with one of my home-canned foods, would it be worth it? What about if it might cause intestinal problems?
My answer is NO- it’s only food and never worth sickness (or a life, heaven forbid) and I will never even take that chance, especially when it’s so easy to take the recommended precautions.
So, off my soapbox and onto our fully refrigerated pickles!
Ingredients & Supplies
- Cucumbers – enough to fill a quart jar, minimum. You can multiply the recipe for however many jars you can make. If all you have are pint jars, you can use two of them.
- Apple cider vinegar – it’s a little more mild, which I prefer, but you can use white vinegar
- Canning & pickling salt – you can also use a pure sea salt.
- Fresh dill heads – if you don’t have access to fresh dill, you can use dried dill seeds.
- Garlic cloves
- Homemade pickling spice – or a store bought organic pickling spice.
- Sugar
- Red pepper flakes (optional, but SO good)
- Quart canning jar(s), OR any quart-sized recycled jar, sterilized in boiling water for 10 minutes or run through the dishwasher as a guard against spoilage. (Confession: I never do more than wash well with hot soapy water, but do as I say and not as I do!) PRO TIP: I prefer regular mouth jars for pickles because the shoulders of the jar help hold the small pickles at the top under the brine.
- Plastic canning storage lids (or reused lids or lids and bands) – this is a time it’s okay to reuse old canning lids since they are not actually sealed for refrigerator storage (to ensure proper seals in fully canned products always use new lids- this is not the area to scrimp- your time is worth it).
- Metal canning funnel – my recommendation since we’re pouring in a hot brine.
Directions
Prepare the Cucumbers
1. Scrub the cucumbers well. I use a scrub brush with a handle which I prefer over palm veggie brushes (the one I’m using isn’t available, but this one is similar).
My favorite pickles are from the smallest “baby” cucumbers and it’s the main reason I grow my own. I used to pay a lot for baby pickles in the store after realizing that I couldn’t pick out only the little cucumbers at farms (yeah, for some reason they frowned on that, ha).
2. Find the blossom end of the cucumbers.
That would be the end that doesn’t have the stem where it attached to the vine. (You may laugh, but I had to learn these things!)
Apparently, there’s a wicked enzyme here in this little end that will turn your pickles to a soft, NOT CRISP, pickle. And since we’re making this recipe in order to get a crisp pickle, let’s not cut this corner, OK?
3. Just cut a little off.
We do not want pickles with sawed-off ends. This I tell you from experience (hey, if a little’s good, then a lot’s great, right?).
4. Repeat with all your cucumbers.
PRO TIP: When dealing with a larger amount of cucumbers (for 3 or more jars) I separate the cucumbers into 3 piles by size as I clean them: large, medium, and small. Then it’s easy to fill the jars with the larger cucumbers, then medium and ending with the baby size to fill in the cracks.
Make the Pickles
1. Fill each clean jar with:
- Four cloves of garlic, sliced in half to release all the garlicky goodness. Easily adjust this to your taste – it’s safe to do more or less.
- 1-2 heads of dill, depending on how big the heads are – if you’d like even more dill flavor you can add a teaspoon of dried dill seed as well. No fresh dill available? You can simply use more dill seed!
- Red pepper flakes – optional, but really do add to the flavor. You can try everything from a few shakes to 1/2 of a teaspoon for each jar, depending on the spiciness level you’d like to achieve.
2. Pack the cucumbers into the jars, right on top of the other ingredients.
You can pack them as tight as you can, but allow enough room at the top for the brine to cover all the cucumbers.
3. Add vinegar and water to a large saucepan along with pickling spice, pickling salt, and sugar.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the hot brine into the jar(s) using a canning funnel and ladle.
Fill to cover the cucumbers, leaving about 1/4″ headspace (the space between where the brine stops and the very top of the jar rim).
Since these will be stored in the fridge, we don’t have to be quite so particular about the headspace.
Anything that covers your cucumbers, but doesn’t touch the lid is okay.
5. Label the lid with the day as well as the month and year.
You will need to let these “cure” in the refrigerator about 3 to 4 weeks before they’ve pickled enough to eat, so you will want to have the day that you made them on the label.
6. Store in the refrigerator.
I think they are best after a month, so usually we wait that long at least to eat the first pickles, and they will continue to improve over the months in storage.
Update: I’ve gotten some questions, so I’ll clarify that the waiting period isn’t a safety issue, it’s to let the brine penetrate all the way to the center of the cucumbers for the best tasting pickle (in my opinion). If you taste them and decide you like them earlier – go for it.
That’s it – you’ve just made the BEST dill pickles you will ever eat!
Reader Raves
“Love this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing and also for sharing your best practices. Not going to lie – normally I skip right down to the recipe, however with your useful extra information and easy to follow writing I really enjoyed your entire post from start to finish.” -Anna
“Sooo good, last year did a half bushel, this year my son and I did a bushel and a half. Everyone just loved them.” -Dave
“They were so delicious! I made 2 jars and now about to make more because I ate them too fast.” -Vivian
“I made this and it comes out exactly as described. I am making them again and have this recipe printed and saved in favorites! 100 out of 10 it’s that good.” -Carol
I sure hope you love these easy refrigerated dill pickles like we do – make sure to leave a rating and review so I will know how you liked them!
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Easy Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles (And Why It’s Better Than Canning)
Equipment
- 1 quart jar canning or reused jar
- 1 storage lid
- 3 quart saucepan
- ladle and funnel
Ingredients
For each quart (increase as needed for each quart added):
- 1 quart pickling cucumbers enough to fill a qt. jar, washed and blossom-ends cut off
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced in half
- 1 to 2 large fresh dill heads add up to 1 tsp. dried dill seed, if desired for more dill flavor*
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1¼ cups cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1¼ cups water
- 2 teaspoons pickling spices
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt, pickling or sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar, or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the number of quart jars equal to amount of pickles you have by running through the dishwasher or boiling for 10 minutes in a pot of water to sterilize.
- Place the garlic and dill in the bottom of each jar, along with optional red pepper flakes. Pack the cucumbers on top, leaving about 1/2 of headspace (you want the brine to be able to cover the cucumbers).
- In a large saucepan, combine water, vinegar, spices, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Ladle the brine into the jar leaving 1/4 inch of head space to cover the cucumbers. Attach lids.
- Let cool to room temperature, label the lids with day and year and then store in the refrigerator.
- The pickles can be eaten after 3-4 weeks and continue to improve over the months of storage.**
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Pickling Recipes To Try
- Garlic Spiced Canned Pickled Beans
- Quick & Easy Sliced Pickled Jalapenos
- Easy Pickled Beets for Canning or Refrigerator, Jar-by-Jar
Note: this article was originally published in 2009 and has been updated with current information, all new photos, clearer formatting and printable recipe.
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I am curious in finding out how slicing them went and if they were still crisp?
I have pickled dill ‘spears’ this way using bigger pickles, Corissa, and they are just as crisp as the whole pickles.
Will these pickles stay crisp for 12 months or until the next year when fresh cucumbers would be available ? Love a crispy pickle.
Tried these yesterday .
Yep, Diane – and even longer! We’ve eaten the last of the previous year’s jars sometimes a year and a half later and they’re still good (though I try to eat them or give them away within the year, just as a good measure). I can think of one time in the many years I’ve made these that a couple of the jars turned soft – who knows why? We just tossed them, since there were others. 🙂
I love your web site Jami. Everyone is so helpful and you give good answers. I made these pickles tonight. Hubby love hot and spicy so he should love these. Thanks a lot ! I’ll be back !
So happy to read this, Terry – thanks! I hope you both enjoy the pickles. 🙂
Can the garlic dills be made then cold packed so they can set in the cupboard?
What does ‘cold packed’ mean, Kathy? If you mean turned upside down to ‘seal’ or anything other than water-bath canning, the USDA doesn’t approve that for safety and I don’t do it. That’s why I keep them in the fridge. 🙂 If you want to keep in the cupboard, you need to can traditionally, though you can try low temp pasteurization to help retain some crispness (visit the USDA site for more info).
Years ago I water bathed my pickles and added Alum Powder to maintain the crispiness. I would keep in cold storage room to help maintain the crispiness also.
I have a TON of cucumbers all of a sudden and they’re the really long ones. Almost like the English ones you see in the grocery store. I’m gonna try cutting them to length and making spears. I just need to make a run to Winco for the goodies. I’m excited!
Jami, I have some smaller extra cucumbers and thought I would try your recipe. Have you ever sliced them? I like mine in spears or rounds verses the whole pickle and was wondering if you have tried it this way, and if they stay crisp this way too?
I would think so, Kathy, since they aren’t processed, though I’ve never tried it. I did this year, though, as I had to slice up some bigger cucumbers to fit into the jars around the whole ones, so I’ll find out along with you 😉
Can I use this same process/recipe for the green beans and keep them in the refrigerator instead of the whole canning process that you use on the Pickled Beans? I only plan on making a few jars so I know they’ll be eaten quickly.
You certainly can, though I never have just because I like green beans to be cooked. If you like them more raw (and crisp), then go for it!
I’ve been canning since the mid-90’s and I’ve never tried pickles. I have 4 quarts of these on our kitchen counter right now. Our 20 year old daughter walked in the kitchen and exclaimed, “Oh, those are so pretty!”. I just rolled my eyes and she replied, “No, like…Martha Stewart.” They’re not quite “Martha Stewart”, but I can’t wait to taste them anyway to see how they turn out! Thank you, Jami, for the recipe. 🙂
Jamie,
I have an abundance of jalapeños this year. I have a jar of pickled jalapeños (store bought) in the fridge. Do you think I can use the brine leftover from this for my fresh ones?
Melinda
I’m sure you can try, Melinda – it will probably pickle them. Making a new brine isn’t hard, though, if you want to start fresh. But I know I’ve reused my brine in the past and it’s worked fine, so I’d assume it would be the same with the store bought.
Hi Jami,
Do you have an extra fridge in which to keep your unprocessed pickles? I wouldn’t have room in my kitchen fridge to store that many quarts (which is about the same number of quarts of dills I do each year). I use two large heads of dill per jar + 2 large cloves of garlic but otherwise your recipe is very close to the one I use. Really enjoy reading about your garden : )
Yes, we have another fridge – just a small one is all that’s needed for the unprocessed pickled cukes and jalapenos we like. They are so crisp it’s worth it to us to keep the fridge. 🙂
If you don’t have fresh dill heads, could you just use dill weed from a jar [plus everything else] and how much. Love everything on your website!
Rose- I have done this towards the end of the season and then waited a couple months after I was done putting in the last cukes and they were fine. I’m not sure if a “pickle connoisseur” would agree, but for us they worked! 🙂
Hi Jami,
I only have a few cucumbers ready at a time, since I only planted a small cucumber batch. Do you think I could add cucumbers to the jar as I pick them, or would I have to heat up the brine again?
Thank you!
Thanks! I’m still having a blast playing with this recipe. I’ve got 5 different batches going each with their own variation.
Thanks so much for the great instructions! I’ve never made my own pickles before, but I got cukes, garlic and dill heads from my CSA this week. Thought I’d give it a try. I can’t wait till they’re ready to eat!
Dawn- Beautiful photo! I love to see the peppers in there ’cause we like ’em spicy. For some reason my pickles last year weren’t dilly enough, so I’m going to add more dill seed this year in addition to the fresh dill. Hope you like them!
Candi- Since these aren’t put in a canner, you can use any jar and lid combo you’d like!
mfpikles- The little bit of sugar is just there to balance out the vinegar- go ahead and leave it out and see how you like it. You can really adjust this recipe to your own tastes, which is nice.
can you leave out the sugar
First visit to your site. Can these pickles be “fermented” or left out for a few days before they go in the fridge?
I haven’t tried that, Patricia – if you do, please let us know. 🙂
Hi Jami:
Question… Do I need to put the brine onto the pickles HOT? Or can it be added cooled with ice – I heard pickles stay crunchy that way too. I will be using the refridgerator method.
The other question do I need that much vinegar as I’m not worried about it being safe on a shelf?
THANKS!
Yes, the brine should be hot – it helps get the pickling started. I suppose you can lower the vinegar amount -you’re right, it’s not for safety. But it is the vinegar that pickles the cukes, so I wouldn’t lower it too much. 🙂
Hi Jami – I’ve been reading some of your older posts regarding canning and preserving. I’m going to be trying my hand at pickles this year and loved this post in particular.
I have a question…
I’ve been saving Mt Olive pickle jars (and their lids) and was wondering if I can use these to make refrigerator pickles.
Thanks!
Candi
sweetdarlin25(at)yahoo(dot)com
I use the VlASIC jars when I do mine. I had a few jars left from when I had a restaurant. I never wanted to pitch them so now I use them to make my own pickles. You don’t need to seal them remember. I read where one lady uses zip lock baggies.
These look great! I made bread and butter pickles about a month ago and actually canned them. They were a huge hit and are gone already!
We need some more pickles so I’m going to try these out this weekend.
Jenelle