Homemade pickles, ready overnight!
I hated pickles as a kid. Sweet and salty, dill, or kosher. It didn’t matter. I gave them ALL to my Mom or Dad.
Flash-forward 15 years 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!)
The secret isn’t fancy equipment. It’s the brine ratio, just the right amount of sugar to vinegar so they land sweet and tangy without being mouth-puckering.
Add fresh dill, a couple cloves of garlic, and mini cucumbers cut to fit the jar, and you’ve got crisp, snappy pickles ready to eat in the morning.
Best refrigerator pickle brine ever, and I’ve tried plenty. Your proportions are perfect. I size up the recipe for larger batches. Can’t thank you enough!
– gmw
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- 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.
- Peppercorns. If you cannot find whole black peppercorns simply substitute for a pinch of ground black pepper.
- Red pepper flakes. Totally optional. Add a pinch for a little heat, or leave them out.
Step-by-step Instructions
Below you’ll find the simple steps to make this Refrigerator Dill Pickles recipe. Jump to recipe for the printable instructions.
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.
Pro Tip: Keep a close eye on the vinegar solution. If reduced too long, you’ll end up having to add too much water to the jars.
Cut cucumbers into spears.
If using cocktail cucumbers simply cut each one in quarters lengthwise to create spears. For larger cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and then again into quarters to get spears about 4-5 inches long.
Pro Tip: For extra-crisp pickles, trim a thin slice off the blossom end, the end opposite the stem, of each cucumber. It carries an enzyme that can soften them as they sit.
Add spears and other ingredients.
Place the garlic, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and dill sprigs at the bottom of a 16-oz. mason jar (these fit 4-inch spears perfectly!) Add the cucumbers to the jar.
Jar Tip: Wide mouth pint jars are best since you have more room. Also, use one that’s made out of glass and has a secure lid since you’ll be pouring in hot liquid. Do not make them in a plastic container as the acidic solution will leach plastic into them.
Fill with pickling brine and water.
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, about 8 hours, before enjoying. They taste even better on day 2.
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 before serving. They only get better on day 2.
- 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.
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!
FAQs
Both styles use dill weed and dill seed for flavoring. However, kosher dill pickles use garlic and a salty brine to give them their classic flavor.
Yes, you absolutely can. However, since there’s less surface area exposed, it will take longer for the solution to soak into the cucumbers. You’ll need to let them sit for at least 4-5 days until they’re ready to eat.
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Overnight Refrigerator Dill Pickles
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Ingredients
- ⅔ cup distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 ¼ tsp. salt plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 garlic cloves whole
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes plus more to taste*
- 3 dill sprigs fresh*
- 4 cocktail cucumbers each cut into 4 spears*
Instructions
- Add vinegar, water, salt, and sugar to a medium-sized pot or sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking occasionally, or until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit while preparing the jars.⅔ cup distilled white vinegar, ⅓ cup water, 1 ¼ tsp. salt, 3 tablespoons sugar
- Place garlic cloves, peppercorns, red pepper flake, and dill sprigs in the bottom of a 16-ounce mason jar. Add cucumber spears to the jar in a vertical orientation. Pour warm vinegar solution over cucumbers and add additional water as needed to completely cover the cucumbers.2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, 3 dill sprigs, 4 cocktail cucumbers
- Refrigerate pickles overnight or up to 3 days for the best results.
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Video
Notes
- Cucumbers: Firm, thin-skinned cocktail (mini) cucumbers stay the crispest and fit a 16-ounce jar perfectly. English seedless cucumbers work too, just cut them into similar 4-inch spears.
- For extra crunch: Trim the blossom end, the end opposite the stem, off each cucumber before slicing. It carries an enzyme that can soften pickles.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional. Add a pinch for a little heat, or leave them out.
- Dill: 1 teaspoon dried dill can be used in place of fresh.
- Jars: A 16-ounce mason jar works best, and wide-mouth pint jars work equally well. Use glass with a tight-fitting lid, never plastic, since the hot brine can leach plastic into the pickles.
- When they’re ready: Great after an overnight soak, about 8 hours, and even better on day 2 once the flavor deepens.
- Storage: Keep in the fridge in an airtight jar for up to 1 month. They slowly lose their crunch after that. Not shelf stable, so always refrigerate.
- Make ahead: These are a make-ahead recipe by design. They’re ready after an overnight soak and hold their crunch in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- Freezing: Not recommended. Cucumbers are too watery to freeze and turn soft and mushy once thawed.
- Scaling: Easily doubled or tripled. One batch fills a single 16-ounce jar.
- Nutrition: An estimate based on only half of the brine being consumed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Quick Pickling Recipes
Once you see how easy it easy to pickle pretty much ANY vegetable at home, try one of these delicious recipes next:
- Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Radishes, Pickled Carrots, and Pickled Jalapenos are all perfect for topping tacos and soups!
- Pickled Garlic comes in handy when you have a bunch of garlic you don’t want to go bad.
- Pickled Beets take a little more prep work since you have to make boiled beets first, but absolutely worth it! They add the best flavor to salads.
Even More Cucumber Recipes
Have a ton of cucumbers on hand? Here are some of my favorite ways to use them up:
Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
15 mins
Greek Cucumber Salad
20 mins
Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
15 mins
Avocado Corn Salad
20 mins
Hi, I have about 135 cucumbers to pickle!!! Do you have any advice for increasing your recipe?!
Oh wow!! That’s a good bit of cucumbers, Charlotte! You can always use a really large stock pot to increase the amount of solution you make! Can’t wait to hear how they all turn out!
I love these pickles and that I can quickly whip up a batch as the cucumbers come in. I can eat a whole jar by myself when I’m in the mood. Cute video you did on this recipe. I watched it in 2020, made about 10 jars through the summer and couldn’t wait to make more. Thanks, Linda
Thanks so much for your kind words, Linda! So happy you’ve enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
You should try a 1/4 teaspoon of alum for crispness.
I’ve never heard of alum, Gemma! But I looked it up and it sounds intriguing. Will definitely look into it – thanks for the tip!
Can the liquid in the jar be reused again for more pickles?
Great question, Frank! I haven’t actually tried this but I think the liquid may not be quite as flavorful. Would love to know if you try it out though!
These are the best pickles that I’ve ever made and they are stupid easy to make. We ate the first batch so fast, that I made four more jars today, some for us and some to share. I just halved the cucumbers this time so I know that they will have to cure for a longer amount of time. Thx for this awesome recipe.
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed the pickles so much. And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Update, just cutting the cucumbers in half definitely took them longer to “cure”. Also I had some liquid left over so I barely steamed some cauliflower, like 3 minutes and poured the liquid over and they turned out amazing. We have been on a pick kick lately. Made pickled jalapeno onion and carrots, and today we picked some fish. Thx again for a great recipe.
That’s great to know, Rosanna! I’ll have to try out cauliflower next – that sounds so good! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
My daughter and I are pickle people. We buy them, rush home and taste them before we finish putting the rest of the groceries away..Never satisfied, we decided that we are going to make our own. Reading the reviews, I think I’ll cut the sugar and maybe add Thai chili peppers for that kick that we like. Thanks for the recipe. I can’t wait to try making pickles at home!
I totally get that – the hubby is a pretty picky pickle eater, too! (Try saying that 10 times fast 😉 lol) I love your idea to add in some spice with Thai peppers. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you, Staci!
If you don’t have fresh dill what would you substitute??
You can try adding some dried dill! Fresh thyme would even taste pretty good, too!
can i use dried dill? and if so, how much?
Yes, Melissa – you definitely can! Normally you’ll want to decrease the amount of dried herbs you use in recipes to 1/3-1/2. So in this case instead of using about 1 tablespoon of fresh dill you’ll want to use about 1 teaspoon of dried. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Wondering if these could be canned instead of keeping in refrigerator? If so What would need to be changed in the recipe? We just love the flavors!
Hi Kelly! In order to can them you’ll probably want to use a pickling salt instead of regular salt and follow a typical canning process for sanitizing the cans, etc. Would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
They were perfect! My friends are as hooked as I am! They were spicy but not hot….perfect! Thank you so much! I have finally found the perfect pickle! Thank you for the recipe!!
Yay!! So happy you and your friends loved the pickles so much, Lisa. Thanks for the comment and rating! 🙂