Easy Refrigerator Pickles
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I love gardening and growing my own food from scratch. My garden has been pumping out zucchini and squash but thus far has only produced a few medium sized cucumbers – which are perfect for pickling!
Pickling in small batches, without a canner, is totally possible – the jars won’t be sealed for storage but the combination of water and vinegar will help keep the pickles tasting fresh for up to eight weeks or longer.
Many store bought pickles are uniform in size but homegrown cucumbers can vary vastly in size. I love me some thick ol’ pickle slices on my burgers – the bigger, the better!
These pickles have a sweet tanginess to them paired with a good amount of heat – in our household, we love our pickles spicy! But of course, you can adjust the flavors to your personal preferences.
Make the pickles a day ahead for a backyard cookout – I’ve found the longer they marinate in the pickle juice, the better they taste. Twelve hours is probably the minimum for optimum flavor, but the taste will continue to develop as the pickles age.
I’ve been in a dill pickle-y mood lately, so the next thing I want to dry with my homemade pickles is deep frying them! But for now, I’ll settle for hanging with some good friends with some delicious burgers for eating with some big ol’ pickles.
Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumber (seedless cucumber) or homegrown, small cucumbers
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup salt
- 4 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 cup sweet onion roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons dill
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- In a large pot over high heat, combine the water, apple cider vinegar and white vinegar. Stir in the sugar and salt, until dissolved. Bring to a rolling bubble then remove from the heat to cool.
- Prepare the jars by dispersing the minced garlic, onion, dill, red pepper flakes and peppercorns evenly between each jar (or as desired to create stronger/weaker flavors to try).
- Trim the cucumber tips then slice 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch slices of cucumber. Separate the pieces and distribute the cucumber slices evenly between the jars.
- Transfer the vinegar brine to a large measuring cup to easily pour even amounts of liquid into each jar. Fill the jars to 1/2 inch from the top. Tightly screw on the lids.
- Shake each jar to mix the contents. Chill for at least twelve hours or more. Jars will keep in the fridge for up to three months. Serve on burgers, chop into relish for hot dogs, or eat plain if that's what you desire. Enjoy!