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    You are here Home » Recipes » food

    By: Melissa

    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!

    refrigerator pickles
    Refrigerator pickles.
    Jump to Recipe
    Total Time: 52 minutes

    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 front view
    Three different refrigerator pickles options.

    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
    Asian pickles
    Asian pickles.

    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).

    refrigerator pickle
    Garlic Refrigerator pickles.

    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.
    refrigerator pickles
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Refrigerator Pickles (3 Options)

    Three delicious ways to make the most amazing refrigerator pickles.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time2 mins
    Resting time30 mins
    Total Time52 mins
    Servings: 1 quart

    Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!

    Author: Melissa

    Equipment

    • 1 quart container with lid You can also use 3 - 16 ounce containers if you are making all three varieties

    Ingredients

    Cucumbers

    • 3 medium cucumbers any variety and sliced into ¼ inch round slices

    Brine

    • 3 medium cucumbers (any variety) sliced into ¼ inch round pieces.
    • 2 cups Water
    • ½ cup kosher salt or pickling salt
    • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon sugar

    Spices and Vinegar To Make Asian Pickles

    • ½ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Sambal Chili Paste or any Asian chili paste
    • water to top off pickles

    Spices and Vinegar To Make Garlic Pickles

    • ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar You can also use white wine vinegar.
    • 3 cloves of garlic Smashed
    • water to top off pickles

    Spice and Vinegar to Make Dill Pickles

    • ½ cup White Wine Vinegar
    • 3 Sprigs of Fresh Dill
    • water to top off pickles
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    Instructions

    • Clean and slice cucumbers.
      3 medium cucumbers
    • Make the brine by adding your water, salt, sugar and peppercorns (not the vinegar) to a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
      2 cups Water, ½ cup kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
    • Heat the brine until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
    • Remove from heat.
    • Allow brine to cool. completely. You can add the pot of brine to a water bath with ice to speed up the cooling.
    • Choose which variety of pickles you want to make.
    • Once the brine has completely cooled, grab a 1 quart container.
    • Add the brine, vinegar and spices for the pickle flavor you want to make.
    • Mix well.
    • Add the sliced cucumbers to the container with the brine and spices.
    • Dip a small spoon in and see if the liquid needs adjusting. If it is too much vinegar or too salty for your taste, add a little water. If it needs more vinegar add more.
    • Press the pickles down into the brine solution and cover with a tight fitting lid.
    • Place in the refrigerator and let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to one week.

    Notes

    If you want to make all 3 varieties at once, just evenly divide the brine among 3, 16 ounce containers and proceed to fill each container with the vinegar and spices for each flavor of refrigerator pickles.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 56651mg | Potassium: 1495mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 914IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 4mg

    Nutrition Values are estimates only.

    See full nutrition disclaimer here
    Course :Side Dish, Snack

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Anna says

      March 21, 2022 at 8:02 pm

      5 stars
      We made the Asian pickles and OMG they were amazing! Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply

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