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Easy refrigerator dill pickles

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Easy refrigerator dill pickles are truly simple and full of that garlicky, salty goodness you crave. No heating means these stay crispy too–no saggy, soggy pickles here!

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large jar of pickle slices in brine on a counter

I love Claussen pickles. Love them. Their garlicky salty goodness and the crunch are the best part. This is the perfect time of year (when you are being overrun with cucumbers) to make a big batch of my version and drink the juice when they’re gone.

The juice drinking is optional, but here’s whats great about these–first, my second grader could  do this. I know a lot of you cringe at the thought of words like “pressure canning” or “water baths” so we don’t even have to touch that but you will need to keep these in the fridge at all times.

Step 1: Cut your cucumbers in to any size you like. I was doing “hamburger slices” here which are long vertical slices but you can do rounds, cubes, or leave your cucumbers whole if they are really tiny.

Step 2: Pack your jars. Lay the jars on their sides (or use a huge jar like mine and make one big one) and lay in your slices. This is a ton easier than trying to get everything to stand up straight with the jar upright.

Step 3: Make your brine and bring it up to a boil. Stir everything well to dissolve the salt and pour it over the cucumbers. It may be a good idea to warm your jar under a little hot water before pouring in the brine so you don’t crack the glass.

And the final result is a crispy, flavorful and extremely affordable pickle. I make these by the gallon–no lie. We eat them all in just a few weeks. I raise my own dill, but most of you probably don’t so I went by the grocery to see how much it costs to buy enough to make a batch of pickles. Looks like it will cost you about $4–pocket change for a gallon of these yummy things.

large jar of pickle slices in brine on a counter

Easy refrigerator dill pickles

Crispy (never heated) easy refrigerator dill pickles are super garlicky, fresh and the closest to your favorite cold dill pickles--you know the ones--and made by you! 
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Brining Time 7 days
Total Time 7 days 30 minutes
Servings 10
Author Rachel Ballard

Ingredients
  

  • 1 gallon cucumbers
  • 1 1/2 quarts water don't use tap water
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup canning salt
  • 1/3 cup onion flakes
  • 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 6 heads fresh dill stems and all (about two packages from the store)

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your cucumbers by washing them and trimming off the ends. If they are very small (2-3 inches long) you can leave them whole. If they are larger, slice them into spears, or remove the seeds and slice them into half moon shapes.
  • Place them in a large clean container or several small ones.
  • In a pot, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil and pour over the cucumbers, making sure they are covered.
  • Place lids on the container(s) and allow to sit on the counter for 24 hours, stirring them once or twice.
  • Place them in the fridge and allow them to sit 3 days before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 5677mgPotassium: 596mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 319IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 1mg
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Course Snack
Cuisine American

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9 Comments

  1. Hi,
    I’m looking for a refrigerator pickling recipe for 1 gallon and I wanted to make sure that the vinegar to water recipe will be strong enough to store them as usually the ratio is 1:1 for vinegar to water. Thank you!!

    1. Hey Kati, this is a refrigerator only recipe–no canning and isn’t approved for either water bath or pressure canning if that’s what you’re trying to do. –Rachel

    1. Allison I honestly leave them in there until we get them eaten. They are in vinegar so it’s not like they will spoil. You’ve got an easy 6 months to get through them if you need that long. –Rachel

    1. Hey Melody, I meant to use purified, distilled, or filtered water in your brine. The water goes in with the other spices and vinegar and is brought to a boil before pouring over the pickles. –Rachel

    1. No Nick, they are like Claussen pickles, but not a Vlasic. Vlasic pickles are heated and found on the regular grocery store shelves canned in a jar. These pickles are more like the ones in the refrigerated section. Because these aren’t heated and canned, they are more crisp than a Vlasic.

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About the Author

Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.