Refrigerator pickles might be one of the most satisfying things you can make at home — no canning equipment, no complicated process, just fresh cucumbers, a simple brine, and a little patience. If your garden is drowning in cucumbers right now, this is exactly where they should end up. Tangy, crisp, and genuinely hard to stop eating once you crack the jar open.
Perfect for summer cookouts, backyard barbecues, using up garden cucumbers, or anytime you want something homemade in the fridge that makes everything else taste better.
No time to read the recipe? Pin it to read later ⤵️
Table of contents
Easy Refrigerator Pickles
What I love most about these pickles is how little effort they actually take. Fifteen minutes of prep, a quick brine, and the refrigerator does the rest. By the next day you have something that tastes far better than anything store-bought — properly tangy, genuinely crisp, and packed with garlic and dill in every bite. They keep for weeks, though in my experience, they rarely make it that long.
What You’ll Need to Make Refrigerator Pickles
- Cucumbers — Look for firm, dark-green pickling cucumbers, such as the Kirby variety. They have thinner skins, fewer seeds, and hold their crunch far better than standard slicing cucumbers. For spears, you want cucumbers that are roughly the same length so they stand upright evenly in the jar.
- White vinegar — Standard distilled white vinegar with 5% acidity is the backbone of your brine. Its sharp, clean flavor lets the dill and garlic shine without competing. Don’t substitute apple cider vinegar unless you want a slightly sweeter, earthier result.
- Kosher salt — Dissolves cleanly into the brine and seasons evenly without any bitter aftertaste. Do not use iodized table salt — the iodine can cloud your brine and affect the final flavor.
- Fresh garlic — Smashing the cloves slowly releases flavor, perfuming the brine without turning sharp. Buy whole heads and use fresh cloves — pre-minced jarred garlic won’t give you the same aromatic punch.
- Fresh dill — Bright, feathery fronds give these pickles a flavor that dried dill approximates but never quite matches. You can see from the photo how the dill settles beautifully between the spears — it’s as much visual as it is flavor.
- Also needed: water, granulated sugar, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, white onion, and 2 clean tall mason jars with lids.
Ingredient Substitutes
Apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar: A mellower, fruit-forward tang that works beautifully if you prefer less sharpness. The spears will take on a golden hue and a touch more natural sweetness — reduce the sugar by half a teaspoon to compensate.
Rice vinegar for a gentler brine: Even milder than apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar produces a subtler, slightly sweeter pickle. Great for anyone who finds standard pickles too aggressive. This recipe is naturally gluten-free as written, and all substitutes listed here keep it that way.
English cucumbers: If pickling cucumbers aren’t available, English cucumbers cut into spears work well. Their skin is more delicate so they soften a little faster — plan to eat these within 5 days for best texture.
Honey instead of granulated sugar: An equal swap that adds a floral undertone to the brine. It dissolves easily in the warm liquid and pairs especially well with a sprig of fresh thyme tucked alongside the dill.
How to Make Refrigerator Pickles
Step 1: Prep Your Cucumbers and Jars
Wash your cucumbers thoroughly under cold running water. Trim a thin slice off both ends of each cucumber — the blossom end in particular contains enzymes that can soften pickles if left on. Cut each cucumber in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise again so you end up with 4 long spears per cucumber. Try to keep them as uniform in size as possible so they pack neatly and pickle evenly.
Wash your tall mason jars and lids with hot soapy water and rinse well. You don’t need to sterilize them the way you would for traditional shelf-stable canning — a thorough hot wash is all that’s required for refrigerator pickles. Make sure the jars are fully dry before packing.
Step 2: Pack the Jars
Stand the cucumber spears upright in the jars, cut side facing in, packing them snugly enough that they support each other. This is where a tall jar really pays off — the spears stay standing and the brine has a clear path to flow down through every gap. As you pack, tuck the smashed garlic cloves, fresh dill fronds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and onion slices down into the spaces between the spears.
Distributing the aromatics throughout the jar rather than just dropping them on top ensures every spear gets equal exposure to the flavoring agents. Don’t worry if it looks a little chaotic at the top — once the brine goes in, everything settles into place.
Step 3: Make the Brine
Combine the white vinegar, water, kosher salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently as it warms — you’re simply dissolving the salt and sugar completely, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
You don’t need to bring it to a rolling boil. Once the liquid is completely clear with no visible granules, pull it off the heat.
Warm brine dissolves the seasonings fully and begins relaxing the cucumber cells slightly, which helps the pickling process get started faster. If you prefer maximum crunch above all else, cold brine works too — just budget an extra 12 to 24 hours before the spears are fully flavored.
Step 4: Fill and Seal
Pour the warm brine carefully and directly down into each jar over the packed spears — exactly as shown in the photo. Pour slowly so the brine has time to work its way down between every spear rather than just pooling on top.
Leave about half an inch of headspace at the top. Every spear should be fully submerged; if any poke above the brine line, press them down gently or rearrange slightly.
Set the filled jars on the counter and let them cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Seal the lids tightly and transfer to the refrigerator. The waiting starts now.
Step 5: Wait (The Hardest Part)
Give your pickles at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before opening a jar. At 24 hours, they’ll be lightly flavored and very crisp — great if you like a fresher, subtler pickle. At 48 to 72 hours, the flavor deepens considerably, the garlic mellows into the brine, and the dill really settles into every spear. By day three, you’ve got a full-flavored pickle worth bragging about.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep your refrigerator pickles sealed in their jars in the refrigerator at all times — they should never sit at room temperature once brined. After each use, seal the lid immediately and return the jar to the cold. Stored properly, refrigerator pickle spears stay crisp and flavorful for up to 3 weeks, though texture is best within the first 10 days. Do not freeze them — the water in the cucumbers will crystallize and destroy the crunch entirely. Always use a clean utensil to pull spears from the jar to avoid introducing bacteria that could shorten their shelf life.
📌 Did you try this recipe?
Have you made this delicious recipe and loved it?
I would love it if you took a minute to leave a star rating and review. It is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that; thank you!
📌 Please also pin the image below, then you can find the recipe for the next time you want to cook.
What to Serve with Refrigerator Pickles
Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 4 medium cucumbers about 1.5 lbs, cut into spears
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ small white onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Trim the ends off each cucumber, then cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise again to make 4 spears per cucumber.
- Stand the spears upright in two clean tall mason jars, packing them snugly so they hold each other in place.
- Tuck the smashed garlic, fresh dill, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and onion slices down into the gaps between the spears.
- Combine vinegar, water, kosher salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until fully dissolved, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Pour the warm brine directly down into the jar over the spears, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top.
- Cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes), seal with lids, and refrigerate.
- Chill at least 24 hours before eating. Peak flavor hits at 48–72 hours.