Overnight Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Refrigerator Dill Pickles are perfectly crisp, sweet, tangy, and ready overnight with no special canning equipment or sterilizing required! These have quickly become a family favorite that we make all summer long!

I hated pickles as a kid. Sweet and salty, dill, or kosher. It didn’t matter. They all were immediately handed over to my Mom or Dad.

Flash-forward 15 years to a dental school lunch when I bit into a Chick-fil-a sandwich. What was that unique and INCREDIBLE flavor?! When I peeled back the bun, much to my surprise, there it was… a PICKLE!?

And so my pickle obsession began.

One of the hardest things about making homemade pickles is how long you have to wait to enjoy them. As a rather efficient woman, I needed to come up with a quick way to cure my newfound cravings… that’s when this Overnight Refrigerator Pickles were created! (Shortly followed by Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Carrots, and even Pickled Beets!)

Why These Overnight Pickles are the Best

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of refrigerator pickles out there, but let me tell you why this one is the best:

• No canning required! You simply pack cucumbers in a mason jar, put the lid on, and tuck it away in the fridge!
• The brine has the perfect ratio of sugar to vinegar. Many recipes are either way to sweet or incredibly acidic. As Goldilocks would say, this one is juuuussssttt right.
• Fresh dill is used to deliver a TON of flavor.
• Mini cocktail cucumbers are the perfect size to fit into a 16-ounce mason jar. No back-and-forth with measuring here.
• While the recipe is incredible as is, you can fine tune, tweak and customize to your liking.

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Simple Ingredients You’ll Need

Notes about the ingredients needed for this overnight pickles recipe are below. Jump to recipe for the exact measurements.

• Seedless Cocktail Cucumbers. Also called “mini cucumbers.” You can find these in your produce section in a small plastic bag and they are about 4-5 inches long. If you cannot find the cocktail cucumbers, you can also opt for the English seedless cucumbers. Just cut them into similarly sized spears that will comfortably fit into a mason jar.
• Vinegar. Distilled white vinegar is the best type of vinegar to use when pickling cucumbers. Any other type, like apple cider vinegar, will largely impact the finishing taste and flavor.
• Salt. Salt is the main component that gives them a salty flavor.
• Sugar. Good ole’ regular white granulated sugar is the way to go. Please do not try to substitute for a healthier alternative such as coconut sugar or another unrefined sugar. They will not taste like the authentic pickles you know and love!
• Dill. In order to give that bright flavor, you will need a few sprigs of fresh dill. Dried can be used but won’t be quite as flavorful and you’ll have to decrease the amount used by a third.
• Garlic. While not absolutely necessary, the garlic does give a nice depth of flavor.
• Peppercorns. If you cannot find whole black peppercorns simply substitute for a pinch of ground black pepper.

How to Make Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Below you’ll find the simple steps to make this Refrigerator Dill Pickles recipe. Jump to recipe for the printable instructions.

1. Make the pickling solution.

Add distilled vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a medium-sized sauce pan or pot and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let the vinegar solution simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set the pickling brine to the side to cool for a few minutes.

2. Cut cucumbers into spears.

There are many ways to prepare the cucumbers to make pickles. The easiest way is to cut each one in quarters lengthwise to create spears.

3. Add spears and other ingredients.

Place the garlic, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and dill sprigs at the bottom of a 16-oz. mason jar. Set the cucumbers into the jar.

Since the cocktail cucumbers are typically around 4 inches long, a 16-oz. mason jar will work perfectly. The wide mouth pint jars are preferred since you have more room to place the pickles.

Make sure you find one with a secure lid and that it is made out of glass since you’ll be pouring in a hot liquid.

Cook’s Tip: Do not make refrigerator pickles in a plastic container as the acidic solution will leach plastic into them.

4. Fill with solution and water then refrigerate.

Pour the warm vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and spices. 

Add extra water until the solution completely covers the veggies. You do still want to leave a little headspace in the jar, though.

Be sure to wipe the rim and screw the lid on tightly. Refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days before enjoying. 

This recipe is not shelf stable. You MUST store in the refrigerator.

Prep-Ahead and Storage Tips

• To Prep-Ahead: Refrigerate pickles for at least 8 hours, or up to 3 days for the best results.
• To Store: Keep pickles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. This is the ideal -time frame to maintain their crisp and crunchy texture. After this time they will begin to get soft and will not have that same delicious crunch.

FAQs

More Flavor Variations

Mix up the flavors and add in some coriander seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaves, or other spices. Or you can even try this pickling spice!

Other Quick Pickling Recipes

Once you see how easy it easy to pickle at home, try one of these delicious recipes next:

• Pickled Red Onions
• Pickled Garlic
• Pickled Radishes
• Pickled Carrots
• Pickled Beets
• Pickled Jalapenos

More Cucumber Recipes

Plenty of cucumbers on hand? Try them in these other tasty recipes:

• Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad with Onion
• Asian Cucumber Salad
• Avocado Corn Salad
• Cucumber Avocado Crab Salad
• Easy Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
• Mexican Shrimp Ceviche