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.
I wanted to 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 canning. They are not meant to be stored long term in a cabinet.
You make them and refrigerate them. You can eat them after a day but they taste so much better after about a week.
Refrigerator pickles stay nice and crunchy because they are not exposed to the high heat from the hot water bath canner which will soften the cucumbers during the canning process.
I have made homemade pickles both ways and prefer a refrigerator pickle that is crisp when I bite into it.
The refrigerator garlic dill pickles I make 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.
Easy Homemade Pickles
If for some reason you thought making pickles was too difficult to do let me ease your mind. If you can....
- wash and 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.
Directions
Ingredients needed to make enough pickling brine for about 4 pints size jars of pickles.
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt
- kirby or other small thin skinned pickling cucumbers ( sometimes labeled salad cucumbers)
Spices to place into each jar. 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 and ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes(adjust for personal taste)
- Or use my Gourmet Pickling Spice in place of the peppercorns and pepper flakes.
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!
Basic Canning Supplies Needed
- 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 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.
Gourmet Pickling Spice
Buy my new Gourmet Pickling Spice to make the best homemade pickles ever.
Gourmet Pickling Spice
The perfect blend of eight herbs and spices for all your pickling needs.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Filtered water: Use filtered untreated water for best results. 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 dill seeds instead.
- You can use a mixed pickling spice in place of the pepper corns and red pepper flakes. If you want extra 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.
- Choose firm unblemished cucumbers.
- Test out the recipe and then make adjustments to the garlic and pepper flakes to find your perfect spicy garlic pickle flavor.
- You can use recycled glass jars to make refrigerator pickles because they will not be processed in a water bath canner.
More quick pickles recipes
Email questions or recipe requests to flouronmyface@gmail.com. Follow me on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
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. Or run them through the dishwasher on high heat.
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. Or ½ a teaspoon of pickling spice.
- Wash and trim the ends of the cucumbers.
- Cut the pickles into thin rounds or spears and pack the cucumbers into the jars tightly.
Make the brine
- Measure the vinegar and water into a large saucepan.
- Add the pickling 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. Wipe the jar rims and place a flat lid on top of the jars and twist a band on.
- Place on a towel and let cool on the counter to room temperature before refrigerating.
- Refrigerate the pickles for about a week to cure before eating.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- 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.
- Choose firm unblemished cucumbers.
- Test out the recipe and then make adjustments to the garlic and pepper flakes to find your perfect spicy garlic pickle flavor.
- You can use recycled glass jars to make refrigerator pickles because they will not be processed in a water bath canner.
- 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.
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!
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.
Lauren
This looks good! Thanks for sharing your recipe at Motivation Monday on Mom Home Guide!
Arlene Mobley
Thank you Lauren!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Laura
How long are they good for after the curing process?
Arlene Mobley
Laura
At least a month. Thanks for stopping by!
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.
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.
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 @ http://www.BestMiniFridgeGuide.com
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.
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!
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.