The Best Homemade Refrigerator Pickles (Simple and Easy!)

If you love the tangy taste of pickles but don't want to wait for the lengthy canning process, then refrigerator pickles are the perfect solution! These pickles are easy to make, require no canning equipment, and can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

They are a great way to use up an abundance of cucumbers or other vegetables from your garden or local farmer's market. With just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of prep time, you can create a crunchy and flavorful snack that's perfect for sandwiches, burgers, or as a tasty side dish.

I personally love gardening and taking fresh ingredients from my garden and serving it to my family at the dinner table. And refrigerator pickles are one of the easiest ways to have savory, refreshing veggies and to use your produce in the right way. 

This recipe is extra special to me because it's a traditional recipe passed down to me by my mother and holds a lot of sentimental value to me.

Pickling is an ancient process just like canning, you may know these refrigerator pickles as Naturally Fermented Pickles or (Malosolnie Ogurtsi - Малосольные Огурцы in Russian) and Malosolni Ogirki (Малосольні Огірки in Ukrainian).

In this recipe, I'll show you how to make delicious and crispy refrigerator pickles that are sure to impress your family and friends, and you'll personally fall in love with them. 

Want to learn how to make Refrigerator Pickles? Then keep on reading!

What are Refrigerator Pickles?

Refrigerator pickles are a type of pickling that does not require the more complex canning process and can be done quickly. They are made by combining cucumber slices with vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices in a jar and allowing them to sit in the brine for up to two weeks.

The result is a crunchy, savory pickle that has all the flavor of traditional canned pickles without the time-consuming process. Refrigerator pickles are a great way to enjoy cucumbers and other vegetables year-round, as they last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

These refrigerator pickles make an awesome snack by themselves, but they also go great with sandwiches and burgers. They taste kind of in-between garden fresh cucumbers and canned and aged pickles. Plus, they go perfectly with just about any main course, and especially well with something hot and salty such as young potatoes.

This is one of my all-time favorite pickle recipes, and I'm sure you're going to absolutely love it!

What Makes This Refrigerator Pickles Recipe Special?

Easy: What makes this refrigerator pickles recipe special is that it is incredibly simple to make yet produces a delicious and flavorful end-product. These refrigerator pickles require minimal ingredients and effort but make a savory, crunchy, and full-flavored pickle. 

Flavorful: This easy refrigerator pickles recipe is a great way to add some extra flavor and crunch to your meals. They are perfect for topping sandwiches and burgers, adding to salads, or even just as a quick snack.

Great for sharing: Refrigerator pickles also make great gifts so if you’re looking for something special to give to friends or family this could be it!

Preserving abundant produce: Organic cucumbers spoil fairly quickly, so this type of pickling allows you to preserve them and still enjoy their freshness. They're especially good for pickling this way when there is a late-season abundance or just to be able to eat them sooner rather than later.

What You Need to Make Refrigerator Pickles at Home

All you need are some simple, pantry staple ingredients for these tasty refrigerator pickles. Let’s look at what these ingredients are in more detail:

• Water: First you'll need some cold water for the base of the cucumber brine. Purified or distilled water works best as it is free of the impurities sometimes found in tap water.

• Cucumbers: Next we'll need cucumbers. I prefer fresh ones straight from the garden, but store-bought cucumbers work just as well!

For the Brine:

• Sugar: We're going to need some organic sugar for these refrigerator pickles, it adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the recipe. 
• Salt: Next, let's grab some sea salt to add to the brine. It will help balance out the sweetness while bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients. 
• Distilled vinegar: Vinegar will give us the majority of the acidic flavor we need in the brine, but it's also subtly fruity!

For the Spices:

• Garlic: We're also going to use some garlic in this recipe for its pungent and slightly mustard taste. 
• Horseradish leaf: The sharp, bitter, somewhat peppery taste of horseradish is just the flavor we need for a brine. 
• Dill: We'll need some fresh dill as well. It has a slightly citrus taste with grassy undertones and will give us the hallmark flavor of pickles. 
• Peppercorns: Earthy, hot, pungent, and slightly woody, our refrigerator pickles wouldn't be the same without black peppercorns.
• Bay leaves: This delightful herb adds just a little more pungent bitterness to our brine. 

• Jars: We'll need 2 half-gallon (64-ounce or 2-liter) jars to let the cucumbers pickle in. 

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles (Step-by-Step)

Making these refrigerator pickles at home is incredibly easy. Here’s what you need to do step by step:

First, pour the water into a small saucepan or pot then add the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Bring it to a boil and stir constantly until the salt and sugar dissolve completely.

As soon as the water mixture boils and the salt and sugar are dissolved, remove it from the stovetop and set it aside to cool completely. (To speed up the cooling process, I place the pot into a large bowl filled with cold water and ice, without letting the two liquids combine.)

While this mixture is cooling, rinse the cucumbers well (scrub them if necessary). Cut both ends off the cucumber, then cut each one twice (like a + sign). Leave about ¼ inch of the end uncut so the cucumber holds its shape.

Next, place half of a horseradish leaf, 1 branch of fresh dill, 1 garlic clove cut into 4 pieces, 20 peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf into each jar.

After that, pack each jar with pre-cut cucumbers as much as you can without breaking or damaging the cucumbers.

Fill the jars with the cooled pickling syrup we set aside earlier, then close each jar tightly with a lid and place them in the refrigerator.

Now let the cucumbers sit in the refrigerator for at least 5 days so they can thoroughly soak in all the flavors.

Your delicious refrigerator pickles are ready to be enjoyed!

Tips for Making the Best Refrigerator Pickles Ever

• Choose fresh cucumbers that are firm and have no blemishes or soft spots.
• Make sure the brine has cooled completely before adding it to the jars with the cucumbers.
• Pack the jars tightly but don't overcrowd them, as this can cause some of the pickles to spoil faster.
• For the best flavor, let your refrigerator pickles sit in the brine for at least one week before eating them. This will allow all of the flavors to fully develop and meld together. Also, be sure to shake or stir the jars every couple of days. This helps to make sure that all of the cucumbers have equal access to the brine. 

Recipe Variation Ideas for Refrigerator Pickles

This Refrigerator Pickles recipe is a classic and traditional one passed down to me by my mother and is absolutely delicious as is. But if you're looking to change things up, here are a few ideas you can try:

Adjust the spiciness: For a spicier pickle, try adding some red pepper flakes, coriander seeds, or mustard seeds to the brine.

Add some citrus: To add a hint of citrus, add a few slices of lemon or lime to the jar before filling it with cucumbers and brine.

Try different veggies: If you're feeling adventurous, try pickling other vegetables like carrots, green beans, cauliflower, or onions. 

Substitute the vinegar: Try substituting distilled vinegar for apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to slightly alter the taste of the brine. 

Make pickle spears: Swap out regular cucumbers for Persian cucumbers and cut them into quarters to make pickle spears. 

How to Store Leftover Refrigerator Pickles

Homemade pickles aren't as shelf-stable as store-bought pickles, so make sure to keep them in jars in the fridge. This will ensure that they stay fresh and tasty for as long as possible, and they'll last for 3 to 4 weeks.

They pair well with mashed potatoes and these delicious chicken fritters.

Similar Recipes You'll Love

• Canned Vegetable Salad
• Canned Tomatoes
• How to Can Sorrel
• Easy Canned Dill Pickles
• Homemade Saurkraut Recipe
• Strawberry Jam Recipe
• Raspberry Freezer Jam

Plant horseradish, which lasts a long time, in your own garden, and enjoy all of its health benefits.

Recipe Card

The Best Homemade Refrigerator Pickles (Simple and Easy!)

Valya's Taste of Home

These Refrigerator Pickles are easy to make, require no canning equipment, and can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. Plus they're full of flavor!

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

5 days d

Total Time 5 days d 50 minutes mins

Course Canning

Cuisine American

Servings 2 - 64 oz. jars

Ingredients

  

.5x1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 ½ cups – cold water
• ▢ 7 lbs. – fresh garden cucumbers
• ▢ 1 tbsp. – organic sugar
• ▢ 3 tbsp. – sea salt
• ▢ ½ cup – distilled vinegar
• ▢ 2 large – garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 small – horseradish leaf
• ▢ 2 branches of fresh dill
• ▢ 40 peppercorns
• ▢ 2 small – bay leaves
• ▢ 2 half gallon (64 oz. or 2 L each jar)

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Instructions

 

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles (Step-by-Step)

• ▢
  First, pour the water into a small saucepan or pot then add the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Bring it to a boil and stir constantly until the salt and sugar dissolve completely.
• ▢
  As soon as the water mixture boils and the salt and sugar are dissolved, remove it from the stovetop and set it aside to cool completely. (To speed up the cooling process, I place the pot into a large bowl filled with cold water and ice, without letting the two liquids combine.)
• ▢
  While this mixture is cooling, rinse the cucumbers well (scrub them if necessary). Cut both ends off the cucumber, then cut each one twice (like a + sign). Leave about ¼ inch of the end uncut so the cucumber holds its shape.
• ▢
  Next, place half of a horseradish leaf, 1 branch of fresh dill, 1 garlic clove cut into 4 pieces, 20 peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf into each jar.
• ▢
  After that, pack each jar with pre-cut cucumbers as much as you can without breaking or damaging the cucumbers.
• ▢
  Fill the jars with the cooled pickling syrup we set aside earlier, then close each jar tightly with a lid and place them in the refrigerator.
• ▢
  Now let the cucumbers sit in the refrigerator for at least 5 days so they can thoroughly soak in all the flavors.
• ▢
  Your delicious refrigerator pickles are ready to be enjoyed!

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This recipe was originally posted on August 17, 2017 (original picture below), and updated for a better user experience. The post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.