by Sarah Toney | Food Preservation | 30 comments
Cucumbers are one of the easier plants to grow- and we love to eat them fresh, but when the garden gives you too many cucumbers- you make pickles!
And these easy refrigerator pickles are my very favorite ones to make. They are slightly sweet, kinda tangy. Very similar to the bread and butter pickles we all love so much!
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Seriously, you can’t beat homemade pickles and these are the easiest and best-tasting there is!
Related Reading: 7 Tips for Growing Cucumbers
The Best Quick & Easy Refrigerator Pickles
When it comes to making pickles the best choice is to use a cucumber variety that is suited for pickling. These pickling cucumbers are usually smaller and contain less seeds than your standard slicing cucumber.
They tend be a bit stiffer when sliced as well. But one of my favorite things about with refrigerator pickle recipe is that you can use any kind of cucumber you have!
I have used it successfully with our prolific slicers such as Marketmore and Straight 8. It’s still best if you pick them on the early side of ready so that you will have less seeds. But the pickles will taste just fine no matter what kind of cucumbers you use.
To make these refrigerator pickles you will need:
~2 lbs of cucumbers
3 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 T mustard seed
1 T celery seed
3-6 cloves garlic- peeled, bruised, and halved
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How to Make Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Step 1: Wash the cucumbers and slice them thin. The easiest way is to use a mandolin slicer– it saves so much time and ensures that your pickles are a uniform thickness.
Step 2: Layer your cucumbers, salt, and onion in a large bowl or pot. Toss to combine completely. Cover and set aside for about an hour.
Step 3: To make the brine, combine vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, celery seed, and mustard seed. Bring boil, while stirring occasionally. Gently boil for about 2 minutes until all of the sugar has dissolved.
Step 4: Drain the excess liquid from the cucumber and onion mixture. Pour the brine over the cucumbers. Stir gently to combine. Cover and allow to set for about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Fill your jars with the pickles, making sure each jar has at least one piece of garlic in it. Fill with enough liquid to cover all of the pickles. (Note: if you run out of brine, you can use a mixture of white vinegar and water to top off each jar.)
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Allow the jars to cool and then place in the fridge for at least 24 hours before eating. These sweet refrigerator pickles will stay good in the fridge for about 8 weeks! So don’t let all those fresh cucumbers go to waste- preserve them quickly and easily- with no canning experience needed!
This recipe makes about 2 quart sized jars.
Get more ideas to preserve cucumbers on 10 Ways to Preserve Cucumbers That Every Home Gardener Should Know!
Looking for more ways to preserve your garden harvest? Check out my food preservation page for more recipes such as Roasted Tomato Sauce and Dehydrated Zucchini “Pineapple”!
Homemade Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Yield: 2 quarts
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
Slightly sweet and tangy refrigerator pickles. Very similar to the bread and butter pickles we all love so much!
Ingredients
- ~2 lbs of cucumbers
- 3 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 T mustard seed
- 1 T celery seed
- 3-6 cloves garlic- peeled, bruised, and halved
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers and slice them thin using a mandolin slicer
- Layer your cucumbers, salt, and onion in a large bowl or pot. Toss to combine completely. Cover and set aside for about an hour.
- To make the brine, combine vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, celery seed, and mustard seed. Bring boil, while stirring occasionally. Gently boil for about 2 minutes until all of the sugar has dissolved.
- Drain the excess liquid from the cucumber and onion mixture.
- Pour the brine over the cucumbers. Stir gently to combine. Cover and allow to set for about 10 minutes.
- Fill your jars with the pickles, making sure each jar has at least one piece of garlic in it. Fill with enough liquid to cover all of the pickles.
- Allow the jars to cool and then place in the fridge for at least 24 hours before eating.
Notes
These refrigerator pickles will store in the fridge for about 8 weeks.
Marjon July 11, 2017 at 7:46 am
Sarah, you mention sugar in the instructions of the recipe, but it is not listed in the ingredients. How much do I use? Thanks for the recipe, these pickles look delicious!
Reply
Sarah @ The Free Range Lifeon July 11, 2017 at 8:01 am
That’s what I get for typing fast with distractions! I edited the recipe above- Thanks!
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SANDRA BULLINGERon May 2, 2020 at 2:23 pm
Hi Sarah… first time pickler LOL just wanted to know what kind of salt do you use?
Sarah Toneyon May 2, 2020 at 2:43 pm
For these I just use table salt/sea salt
Alanon February 25, 2019 at 1:31 pm
Made this and was pleasantly surprised by them. Can I make them and then can them as is? If so how long would you process them in a water bath for? Thanks.
Reply
Sallyon August 8, 2020 at 12:09 pm
I have the same question. I would like them to last longer so want to put them in a water bath. Will this affect the pickles texture, etc? Also, how long in the water bath, 10 minutes?
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Marnion August 6, 2022 at 7:59 pm
Very tasty
How many pints jars will this make?
ThanksReply
Brendaon August 10, 2022 at 5:18 pm
Can you freeze this recipe?
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Melissa Larkinon May 4, 2019 at 10:04 am
How many jars of pickles does this recipe make?
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Nancy McEachernon July 12, 2020 at 1:32 pm
What type of onion do you use-cooking (stronger), or the milder red or white spanish onions?
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Sarah Toneyon July 18, 2020 at 12:09 pm
You can use whatever you prefer. I usually use sweet onions.
Tasha Coleon July 24, 2021 at 11:44 am
How many jars does this make?
Ella Marshon May 20, 2019 at 4:38 pm
I am making this recipe for the 2nd time within a week. Everyone and I have much love for this. Thank you for sharing.
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Hilary Hooveron June 13, 2019 at 9:55 am
I made these pickles last year with cucumbers from our garden, and they were delicious! Getting ready to make a batch now! Thank you for sharing!
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Cheryl Thomasonon July 3, 2020 at 12:50 pm
Do you just drain the cucumbers after letting them set or do you need to rinse?
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Sarah Toneyon August 10, 2020 at 11:57 am
No need to rinse!
Alon July 6, 2022 at 11:10 am
I definitely rinsed mine as I made a double batch and am glad I did! I like my pickles sweet. ❤️
Sandra Lewison August 21, 2022 at 3:50 pm
Hello, can I do the water bath technic and then store these in my pantry
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Ellieon July 11, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Could these be frozen in freezer bags for later use?
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Linda Zartmanon July 27, 2019 at 2:17 pm
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white?
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Sarahon August 5, 2019 at 11:54 am
Just made these and can’t wait to try them!
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Nicki Barbierion August 15, 2020 at 9:47 pm
I cannot find mustard seed can I use ground mustard?
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Beckyon September 9, 2020 at 8:32 pm
Made these exactly as described with extra cucumbers from garden. So good! Even my son ate some and wanted seconds and he “doesn’t like sweet pickles” – lol.
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Marsha Craigon July 10, 2021 at 9:27 am
Cam you use mustard powder instead of seeds? Celery see is hard to find! Anything special about the jars?
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Ashlion July 17, 2021 at 9:09 pm
Can these be made without the sugar?
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Adrienneon July 29, 2021 at 10:09 am
I’ve made these twice and everyone loves them. Will make them again.
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Kayon August 24, 2021 at 7:55 am
What could I use for flavor if I don’t have mustard or celery seed?
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Maresa Davison June 26, 2022 at 7:15 pm
How many jars does this make please. Others want to know as well. Thank you.
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BillDon July 28, 2022 at 1:49 pm
For me, this recipe made (2) 20oz mason jars, tightly packed. I had leftovers of a few slices and maybe a 1/4 cup of brine.
Couple other ideas
– When the pickles are gone, I reuse the brine at least once. Just dump fresh cucs in the jar. They turn out a little weaker, but still quite good.
– Plastic screw-on lids are handy because you can shake the jars without any leakage.Reply
Sonia Hamiltonon August 9, 2022 at 7:14 pm
I just made these three days ago. I only had 1lb of cucumbers so halved the brine recipe. That did not work it was just a thick syrup, so had to add more water and vinegar. Next time i will make the whole brine recipe as written for 1lb of cukes, maybe double it for 2lbs. They have a good flavour though.
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