By: Jill Mills Posted: Sep 19, 2020 Updated: Jul 25, 2023

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If you love pickles, you can make your own at home with this fantastic Refrigerator Dill Pickles recipe! Fresh cucumber slices in a homemade pickle brine with pickling spices, fresh garlic and dill – you’ll be so surprised how easy it is to make homemade pickles that taste way better than store-bought pickles!

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I LOVE these pickles! I make them all the time! I mean ALL the time. They always come out perfectly and they're so easy to make. I use Persian cucumbers and pre minced garlic. Sometimes I add a sliced habanero if I'm feeling spicy. Thank you for this recipe!

– Eva

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The Best Dill Pickle Recipe

Dill pickles are a favorite low-fat snack in my house. Everyone loved the crunch and unique sour flavor. Because we had so many cucumbers on hand, I decided to make homemade refrigerator pickles. They are wonderful!

Refrigerator pickles are extra easy because there is no jar sterilization needed. This recipe makes two big jars of pickles that will keep in your fridge for up to a month. It was so easy to make these pickles, I could absolutely see making a fresh batch every month.

Don’t miss these other pickle recipes! Air Fryer Pickles, Ham Pickle Roll-Ups, Hot Dog Relish and Easy Fried Pickles.

Ingredients For Homemade Dill Pickles

Here’s what you’ll need to make the Refrigerator Dill Pickles (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the printable recipe card):

Cucumbers – you will need pickling cucumbers or kirby cucumbers.
Fresh dill
Fresh garlic
Pickling spices – You’ll find this special spice blend in the spice aisle of your grocery store. Pickling spice typically includes allspice, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, ginger, mustard seeds, and black peppercorns.
Water
White vinegar
Granulated sugar
Kosher salt

How to Make Refrigerator Dill Pickles

In a medium saucepan, heat the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Next, wash the cucumbers and cut each one into slices equaling four spears. You may also need to cut the length of the cucumber spears down a bit to fit inside your jar so they don’t poke out the top making it impossible to secure the lid of the jar.

Next, pack each jar with as many pickles as will fit comfortably.
Push the fresh dill sprigs down into the jar and divide the garlic and pickling spices between each jar.
Pour the warm pickling liquid into the jars and screw on the lids.
Refrigerate the pickles for 1 full day before eating.

adding seasoning to sliced cucumbers in jars

adding garlic and herbs to cucumbers in jars

Tips & Tricks For Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Cool the brine – Be sure the brine has cooled off a bit before you pour it over the cucumbers in the jars. If it is too hot it will cook them in the jar and make for mushy pickles.
Mark the jars – Place a sticker or date label on the jar and mark with an expiration date, which should be one month from the day you make the pickles.
Make every month – To always have fresh pickles on hand, you might want to plan to make them every month on or around a certain date.
Different cuts – This recipe can also be used to make dill pickle chips for sandwiches and burgers. Simply cut the cucumbers into round medallions instead of spears and follow the rest of the recipe as directed.
The best jars – The very best jars to use are wide mouth 1-quart jars. The more narrow mouth jars are difficult when trying to pull pickles out.
Additions – Feel free to add in anything you prefer like peppers, red pepper flakes, etc…

How Long Do Refrigerator Dill Pickles Last?

Refrigerator pickles are different from store-bought pickles since they are fresh and not made for long-term preservation. This pickle recipe is not shelf stable and needs to be refrigerated. Keep in the fridge for up to one month for best flavor and results.

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