Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Total Time
5 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
0 mins
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
(82)
Ingredients
1 jar
- 12 ounces Persian cucumbers, sliced into coins or spears
- 5 to 6 large sprigs fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 4 small cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 2/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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Preparation
Step 1
Layer the pickles. Add the cucumbers, dill, garlic, and bay leaf to a large (about 1 quart or 1 liter) jar, layering the dill and garlic between the cucumbers if possible.
Step 2
Mix the brine. In a measuring jar, briefly whisk together the water, vinegar, salt, peppercorns, and crushed red pepper flakes until combined.
Step 3
Combine. Pour the brine over the cucumber mixture. Then cover the jar securely with a lid and give it a good shake to combine. If needed, press the cucumbers down so that they are more or less fully submerged.
Step 4
Refrigerate. Refrigerate for ideally at least 1 day before eating, although the pickles will be lightly brined and ready to enjoy after just a few hours if you would like. Pickles can be stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Step 5
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Chef's notes
Cucumbers:
Alternately, you could use 12 ounces of English cucumber (about 1 large English cucumber).
Salt:
I strongly recommend using fine sea salt for this recipe instead of iodized table salt. If you only have iodized table salt on hand, please note that you will need to use half the amount.
Storage time:
For optimum food safety, it is recommended to eat these refrigerator pickles within 1 week. However, they can be kept for up to 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator, using a clean fork or spoon each time to remove the pickles (avoid double-dipping to prevent bacteria).
Recipe edit:
This recipe was edited in July 2022. The original recipe called for one (12-ounce) English cucumber, used less vinegar (3 tablespoons), more salt (1.5 tablespoons), and no mustard seeds.
