Easy Refrigerator Pickles -3 Flavors To Make

Refrigerator pickles are a family favorite around here and they are really easy to make. We make refrigerator pickles all through the summer to use up those extra cucumbers from the garden so we have more than one version of these pickles to keep things interesting. These refrigerator pickles are no cook and with three flavors to choose from: dill pickles, garlic pickles and Asian pickles (Asian pickled cucumbers.) Make one or all three!

About Refrigerator Pickles:

Refrigerator pickles are not the same as pickles that are canned. These pickles are not cooked and there is no special canning needed when making them. These pickles can be eaten as soon as 30 minutes after making them (for more of a fresh crunch) or up to 24 hours - 1 week later.

I actually prefer refrigerator pickles to traditional canned (jarred pickles) because they have a more vibrant fresh flavor and retain a little more crunch. Try these out and you will see what I mean!

Refrigerator Pickles 3 Ways:

My favorite spices to add to these pickles are: garlic, dill and Asian spices. You can choose to make one or all three versions. I do not heat the vinegar in my brine. I only heat the sugar, salt, peppercorns and water just until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Because of this, the brine you will make is the same for all of them, the only change is what spices and vinegar are added to the bowls that the pickles go in. Here are what the ingredients look like for all three varieties of these refrigerator pickles.

Ingredients you will need:

Asian pickles-

• Cucumbers
• Water
• KosherSalt
• Sugar
• Rice Wine Vinegar
• Sambal Chili Paste
• Black Peppercorns

Dill Pickles-

• Cucumbers
• Water
• Kosher Salt
• Sugar
• White Vinegar
• Black Peppercorns
• Fresh Dill

Garlic Pickles-

• Cucumbers
• Water
• Kosher Salt
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Black Peppercorns
• Sugar
• Garlic Cloves

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles:

• Step 1- Make a brine with salt, sugar, peppercorns and water then let cool.
• Step 2- Slice the cucumbers.
• Step 3- Choose what flavors you want to add to the pickles.
• Step 4- Add sliced cucumbers, spices, brine and vinegar to a bowl then top with a little more water if needed to cover the pickles.
• Step 5- Let pickles sit for at least 1 hour.
• Step 6- Enjoy!

Tips for making these:

I prefer certain types of vinegar for making each different variety of pickles but you can certainly use any vinegar you have on hand. You can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar interchangeably. Just make sure to not use balsamic vinegar for these.

As I mentioned earlier, the brine (salt, water and sugar) is the same for all of these pickles. The only change is when you add the vinegar and spices later on to the bowls with the cucumbers. This makes it easy to try out more than one version of these pickles to see which one is your favorite.

For storing these pickles, I chose to use small bowls with lids. You can use jars or anything else you have on hand that has a top and can hold up to vinegar (no metal containers).

Ideas For How To Serve Them:

• On their own as a snack is a favorite option around here.
• I love using the Asian pickles to go as a side to my Korean beef. I like to serve these as a side dish of sorts and it is more like Asian pickled cucumbers with all the great Asian flavor and tons of crunch.
• I use the garlic pickles to top of pulled pork tacos! So good.
• Both the dill and garlic pickles go really well with my chorizo and pork burger, or any burger.
• As some added crunch to Asian hot dogs with Brussels sprouts.
• As a side dish. Using pickles as a side dish may seem odd but it is really delicious and if you are using spices like Asian spices or garlic spices it makes a nice compliment to many dishes.