How to Make Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles
Want to learn how to make easy homemade pickles?
Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles are the easiest pickles to make and you don't need any canning experience.
A few years ago I tried my hand at making refrigerator garlic dill pickles for the first time.
At that time, I had grown a few vines of Kirby cucumbers just so I could make homemade garlic dill pickles.
I am so glad I did because they turned out so delicious.
Free Printable Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles Canning Labels.
Update 8/18/16 CanningCrafts.com was nice enough to design some custom canning labels for my Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles recipe. As a thank for being a Flour On My Face reader download these free printable Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles canning labels.
Print them on a full sheet of Avery sticker paper and cut them out or print them on the (affiliate link) Avery Template 5294 round labels.
Cucumbers for Pickles?
I haven't had much luck growing Kirby cucumbers since so when I saw what I knew to be pickling cucumbers at the grocery store I bought almost all they had so I could make a bigger batch of Spicy Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles.
Summer is winding down and you may or may not be staring down at a growing pile of pickling cucumbers from your garden.
That is if you are lucky enough to have a garden.
Or maybe you happen to have an awesome farmers market close by. Maybe occasionally you entertain the idea of making pickles as you walk by the bins of pickling cucumbers.
Making pickles is so easy and they taste so much better than store bought.
So if you have the chance to grow or buy some small pickling cucumbers do it!
Try this recipe and I promise you will look forward to the cucumber season every year.
What is the difference between refrigerator pickles and canning pickles?
With refrigerator pickles, you never process them in a hot water bath.
They are not meant to be stored long term.
You make them and cure them for about a week and then you eat them.
From what I have read with the refrigerator pickling method the pickles stay crunchy because they are not exposed to the high heat from the hot water bath which softens the cucumbers during processing.
I have never canned pickles any other way at this point so I really can't compare the methods.
I just know that the refrigerator garlic dill pickles I have made taste awesome.
I like to make them spicy. I even make a few jars of extra garlicky and spicy.
As with any canning process all utensils, jars, and lids still need to be sterilized.
When canning, whether it be the refrigerator method of making pickles or the long-term canning method using a hot water bath to process the pickles be sure to always practice safe canning practices.
Easy Homemade Pickles
If for some reason you thought making pickles was too difficult to do let me ease your mind. If you can....
- sterilize jars & lids
- measure spices
- cut pickles
- boil a brine
Then you can make these pickles. That is all there is to making refrigerator dill pickles. You can make them spicy. You can make them garlicky. You can make them mild. It's up to you.
Let me know if you try it. I'd love to hear what you think about this homemade refrigerator pickle recipe.
How to make Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- To Make the Pickling Brine for about 4 pints jars
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
- kirby or other pickling cucumbers
- Into each jar of pickle spears or rounds add
- 1-2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 sprigs of fresh dill per jar
- 1 teaspoons peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes(adjust for personal taste)
Directions
- Prepare Jars
- Sterilize jars + lids
- Put 1-2 garlic cloves into the bottom of each jar.
- Add 4 dill sprigs to each jar.
- Add peppercorns and hot pepper flakes.
- Wash and trim the ends of your cucumbers.
- Cut into thin rounds or spears and pack into the jars tightly.
- To make the brine boil the water, vinegar and pickling salt.
- Pour the boiling brine into the jars over the cucumbers and put the lids on the jars.
- Let cool on the counter and then refrigerate.
- Cure for one week before eating.
- Please follow proper safety measures for food storage when canning or pickling!
Canning Supplies Needed to Make Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles (affiliate links)
- Wide Mouth Canning Jars Amazon Best Seller!
- Wide Mouth Funnel makes filling jars with brine mess free
- Pickling Spice
- Pickling Salt: you must use pickling salt.
This How to make Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles recipe was adapted from Food In Jars Urban Preserving: Refrigerator Dill Pickles.
You can find the original recipe here. Take a look while you are there. She has some of the best canning recipes out there.
More quick pickles recipes
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How to Make Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. kirby or other pickling cucumbers
To Make the Pickling Brine for about 4 pints jars
- 2 cups water unfiltered untreated water is highly recommended
- 1 cup 5% white vinegar
- 1 tablespoons pickling salt
Into each jar of pickle spears or sliced rounds add
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 sprigs sprigs of fresh dill per jar
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns or pickling spice
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes adjust for personal taste
Instructions
Sterilize the jars
- Sterilize jars + lids by dipping them into a pot of boiling water. Allow the water to drain on a towel near by.
Prepare Canning Jars
- Put 1-2 garlic cloves into the bottom of each jar. Add 4 sprigs of fresh dill to each jar.
- Add the peppercorns and hot pepper flakes.
- Wash and trim the ends of the cucumbers. Cut into thin rounds or spears. and pack into the jars tightly.
- Pack the pickles into the jars tightly.
Make the brine
- Measure the vinegar and water into a large saucepan.
- Add the salt to the pan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Use a ladle to pour the boiling brine into the jars over the cucumbers leaving ¼ inch head space. Use a chop stick or canning bubbling tool to release the bubbles in the jars. If there is room in the jar push more cucumber pieces in. Place a flat lids on the jars and twist a band on.
- Let cool on the counter and then refrigerate.
- Refrigerate the pickles for about a week to cure before eating.
Video
Notes
- filtered water: treated (city water) has a tendency to turn the garlic cloves a weird dark almost black color. The garlic is still safe to eat but it is very unappealing looking.
- dill: fresh dill is best when making refrigerated pickles but in a pinch you can use a teaspoon of dill weed or seeds.
- You can use a mixed pickling spice in place of the pepper corns and red pepper flakes. If you want spicy pickles add the red pepper flakes even if you use a pickling spice.
- You may need to double or triple the amounts for the brine depending on how many jars of pickles you are making.
- I tasted mine after 4 days and they were awesome.
- Please follow proper safety measures for canning or pickling!
- Use within 2 months (if they last that long!)
Nutrition
Did you enjoy the How to Make Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles post? Since I made them I have canned Dill Pickles.
After making and processing Kosher Dills a few years later I have to agree.
You can read about it over at the How to Make Kosher Dill Pickles recipe.
Looking for more canning recipes? Head over to my canning recipes page where you will find all my canning recipes.
Amber
Pinned this!! HOW YUMMY!!
Flour On My Face
Thank you Amber!
Karen
I have been making refrigerator pickles for a few years and am happy to try this recipe. I have always salted my cucumbers for one day to make them crispy. Then I leave them out for one day on the counter . Will try this recipe, Seems much easier!
Arlene Mobley
Karen
yes try it. The pickles turn out so crispy this way. I have a full shelf in my fridge full of jars of pickles using this recipe. I made a bunch of quick pickled recipes in the past month. They are amazing.
Korrie
I would like to ask if dried dill is ok to use with this recipe? It is not so easy to come by where I live.
Flour On My Face
Korrie yes you can use dried dill or even dry dill seeds.
Korrie
Oh thank you, I did find some fresh baby dill.
Flour On My Face
Korrie
You are very welcome!
Jody
Can I leave the dill cukes whole instead of cutting them into spears? And how long will these pickles keep fresh in the fridge?
Flour On My Face
Jody
I have not tried whole pickles yet. So I can't say for sure. But I would think they would need much longer in the brine before you could eat them. Once a jar is open they don't last very long around here so I would say two weeks once opened. I would say an unopened jar would last up to a month. Be sure to mark the date on the jar. And always discard canned items if they smell off or you spot any mold in the jar or on the food.
Kieran@Best Mini Fridge
I love pickle! (but I have never thought of using herbs & spices - great idea). I always thought you could keep pickled food outside of the fridge though - am I wrong?
Kieran @ www.BestMiniFridgeGuide.com
Jo
I want to try these but want to make sure of 2 things - what size jars and if you use dill seeds vs fresh dill what amount per jar - thank you
Arlene Mobley
Hi Jo
I used the 16oz wide mouth jars here but have used regular quarts in the past that worked well. I would substitute 1/4 teaspoon to a 1/2 teaspoon dill seeds or dill weed per 16 oz jar. If using quart jars I would use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
Jo
thank you - made them and they are yummy
Arlene Mobley
Jo so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Robin M
Can you use Dill Heads and if so 1 per pint jar?
Arlene Mobley
Yes you can use dill heads. If they are large one should be enough. If on the smaller size 2 or 3.
Tammy
Is "pickling salt" the same as Kosher salt?
Arlene Mobley
Tammy
Pickling salt is NOT the same as Kosher salt. It is sold in a 2 pound box and you can usually find it on a bottom shelf right near the round boxes of Morton salt. Pickling salt is a special salt made just for canning and will not make your brine cloudy.
Laura
How long are they good for after the curing process?
Arlene Mobley
Laura
At least a month. Thanks for stopping by!
Karen
I Love, love, love dill pickles. I want to try these. I am on low sodium diet, can the sodium (salt) be omitted, or reduced? Thanks.
mary
can you use regular cucumbers for this ?
Arlene Mobley
Mary I honestly don't know. I have always used small pickling cucumbers when making pickles. I don't think regular pickles have the same intense flavor and they are much bigger. You could try a small batch and taste them to see if you like them. Also be aware that store bought pickles have been treated with a wax coating not suitable for pickling.
Elizabeth De Rue
I want to freeze the pickles after waiting the 5 days in the brine, how do I do it ?
Arlene Mobley
Elizabeth
I would'nt suggest freezing homemade pickles. They would probably turn to mush.
vivian@sweetandwarm
They were so delicious! I made 2 jars and now about to make more because I ate them too fast. I couldn’t find pickling salt so I used kosher salt & also fresh dill….THANK YOU for sharing 🙂
Arlene Mobley
Vivian
So glad to hear you loved the pickle recipe. They are addicting!
dollie banos
Just wanted to confirm: recipe says 'serves 2 pints' yet ingredients are for '4 pints jars'. Is this correct or should it read "4 1/2 pint jars"? Please respond. Thank you!
Arlene Mobley
The recipe will make 2 quarts or 4 pints. Sorry for the confusion.
michelle
I made the refrigerator dill pickles and they were awesome. Would I also be able to do a water bath on this recipe so I can keep them longer?
Arlene Mobley
Michelle
I am not so sure this recipe can be used for water bath canning. If you check the foodinjars.com website where this recipe source came from you will probably find a suitable water bath pickle recipe.
Lauren
This looks good! Thanks for sharing your recipe at Motivation Monday on Mom Home Guide!
Arlene Mobley
Thank you Lauren!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
What a lovely recipe! I have so many cukes right now so I can't wait to give it a try.
Tana Mason
I love pickles and this looks simply yummy! Please come on over and share this at our blog hop we have every week Wed-Sun https://www.floydfamilyhomestead.com/! We would love to have you!
Arlene Mobley
Thanks for the invite Tana!
Jamie Marie
Yummy, and with nice little labels too!
Thanks for sharing with us on the Homesteader Hop!
Debra @ Bowl Me Over
Great step-by-step tutorial, love canning, love pickles! YUM!! Wanted to pop by from Foodie FriDIY to let you know I'm sharing your recipe this week as a feature - come link up again!
Arlene Mobley
Debra
Thank you so much for the feature!
Sandra
Do you think this would work to make pickled green beans? My boyfriend loves them and they are really expensive in stores we've been wanting to make them ourselves but the canning process is kind of scarry to me... so we've waited... but this looks way easier and possibly tastier as well!
Arlene Mobley
Sandra yes this method will work with green beans and other vegetables that will be eaten within a couple of weeks. Refrigerator pickling is not meant to be kept for long periods of time. If you try it let me know what you think. You might have to play around with the spice amounts to get a flavor that is good with the green beans. I suggest following my recipe for a small batch and then make adjustments from there.
Billy
I've never gone through the worry of canning pickles - I've always just refrigerated them and they turn out fine! In my opinion, I want my pickles refrigerated and every little speck of nutrition to stay around - I don't want to process them at all if I can help it. Thank you for this great recipe! Your pictures look wonderful.
Arlene Mobley
Billy thanks so much. Enjoy the pickles!
Phil Reilly
I adjusted the tecipe for two 4 pt jars. I added a lil more garlic and half the red pepper flakes. After 1 week they were good.....after two weeks they were KILLER! This is now the go to refrigerator garlic dill recipe for this family.
Phil Reilly
Arlene Mobley
Phil
Glad you enjoyed the pickles recipe!
Andrew
I love pickles, especially Claussens. However, I'm on a low sodium diet restriction because of my heart health. Would it be possible to omit the salt used? Would really love to try to make my own pickles because store bought ones are so high in sodium. But a tablespoon of salt has almost 7000 mg of sodium in it and I'm on a 2000 mg restriction. At a conservative estimate, each pickle would have 300 mg (probably more) of sodium which is too much and would require a lot of planning for my meals during the day to fit in. Do you think it can be done? Would the vinegar and seasoning brine be enough to pickle the cucumbers?
Arlene Mobley
Hi Andrew
This How To Make Kosher Dill Barrel Pickles can be made omitting the salt.
Jenny
Dill pickles are my favorite. Thanks for sharing the recipe at Merry Monday!
Michele
Do they taste like cucumbers? I love pickles but not a fan of cucumbers? I think I’ll try them and also some green beans and asparagus.
Arlene Mobley
Michele
They taste like pickles to me. Hope you enjoyed the recipe!
john burke
I made the refrigerator garlic dill pickles and waited about two weeks to eat them. They are crunchy but the vinegar taste seems to overpower the garlic and dill taste. Should I add sugar or is that how they taste.
Arlene Mobley
Hi John
That is how they taste. The amount of vinegar used is needed to preserve the pickles. If you add sugar it will change the flavor to more like a sweet pickle.
John Burke
Thanks, I wasnt sure if I mixed it wrong. Would adding more garlic and dill change it.
Arlene Mobley
John
Yes, you can add more garlic and dill until you find the perfect combination for your tastes. Keep notes and mark your jars with the amounts so when you find the perfect pickle flavor you can make them again.
cammie mcclure
These sound amazing and I can't wait to try them. I do have a question though. In your canning supplies list, you have mixed pickling spice listed but it's not in the ingredients list. How much am I supposed to use for this recipe? Thank you!!
Christine Huerta
Anyway, I love canning and making pickles. I'm in Mexico, so having some trouble finding jars, but we'll have to because we're going to have a big garden. I canned when I lived in Italia several years ago, but don't have 1of those lovely jars now. My husband and I are making refrigerator pickles. We put two batches in large mayonnaise Jars I got from a local restaurant. We made a big of refrigerator dills, and a large jug of mixed veggies sweet. They going to be so good. When they cooled, they'll go in the fridge to cool properly. Can't wait!!
Louis
These were addictive. I hate the whole jar in two days! 😡
Christy Roppel
Hi!
By pouring hot brine over the cukes, does this make them less crispy?Thanks!!
Christy
Arlene Mobley
Hi Christy
Refrigerator pickles are a little more crispy than hot water bath canned pickles. The heat from the hot water bath is what usually takes the crispiness out of the pickles. You can buy a product from Ball call Pickle Crisp that is supposed to help keep the pickles crispy. I've never tried it so I can't say how crispy the pickles stay. (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/2T71Ajn
Laurie
I have never canned or made any type of pickles, so I have no experience. I’ve been reading recipes and trying to learn because I desperately want to make the refrigerator pickles I remember from my youth. Unfortunately, there is no one left to ask how Nana did it. I’m a little confused by something. You say that hot water causes the pickles to soften, yet you pour boiling brine over these pickles. Is there a difference between a hot water bath for canning and pouring boiling water over these pickles ? I have seen many refrigerator pickle recipes that don’t require hot water. What is the advantage of the boiling brine? The thing I remember most is how crispy Nana’s were.
Arlene Mobley
Laurie
Great questions!
1. When you Can pickles using the hot water bath method the filled jars are place in a pot of water and the water is brought up to a boil. You then boil with jars for 10 miuntes. The hot water and the tem minute boiling time will cause the cucumbers/pickles to be soft and not crunchy as crisp and crunchy as refrigerator pickles
2. For refrigerator pickles you boil the brine so the pickling salt dissolves before pouring it over the cucumbers. You then allow the jars to come to room temperture before refrgerating them. They are not submerged in boiling water and cooked for 10 minutes. It is the extended time the jars are in the boiling water that soften the pickles.
Does that make more sense and explain the difference?
Susanne
Just made these. Are the seals supposed to “pop”? I wasn’t expecting that.
Arlene Mobley
Susan
Yes the flat lids will seal (popping sound) but they must be refrigerated because they have not been hot water bath canned. They are not really sealed in the same sense. The heat from the hot brine will cause the lid to seal.