This is the BEST Refrigerator Pickles recipe! An easy old fashion family recipe for crunchy zesty dill pickles. No canning needed. You’ll never buy store bought dill pickles again!
Best Refrigerator Pickles
Want to know how to make your own homemade refrigerator pickles? Here’s a simple dill pickle recipe with photos and step-by-step instructions that your family will love for generations just like ours.
A Homemade Dill Pickle Recipe Your Family will Love!
If you are looking for a homemade dill pickle recipe, look no further! I absolute love my aunt’s old-fashioned homemade refrigerator pickles. Heck, I love anything with dill, especially this amazing dill pickle dip!
While I was visiting my home town in Oklahoma, my aunt made a few jars of these amazing dill pickles so I could take photos and share our family’s secret recipe with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
This homemade dill pickle recipe has been in my family for many years. My Aunt Tricia said that over time, she and my Uncle have added their own touches and ingredients to the original dill pickle recipe. I swear, they are the best pickles I have ever eaten!
How to make our Homemade Dill Pickle Recipe
Enjoy this easy old fashion family recipe for crunchy zesty refrigerator pickles. Best of all, there’s no canning needed.
What Cucumbers Do you Use for Pickling?
Be sure to select very firm cucumbers. Do not buy commercially waxed cucumbers, they will not pickle properly. I recommend shopping at an organic grocery store or your local farmer’s market.
My aunt’s cucumbers are called “National Pickling” cucumbers, they are irregular shaped and bumpy. She recommends using whole cucumbers for crisper pickles. They pick their cucumbers small just for pickling. Pickling cucumbers are often sold as “Kirby” or “Liberty” cucumbers.
How Many Cucumbers Do You Need To Make Pickles?
You’ll need about 25 cucumbers for this recipe. Plus six 1 quart pickle jars, tongs, a funnel and the ingredients below.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts Water
- 1 quart White Vinegar
- 1 Cup Pickling Salt (*makes enough liquid for six 1 quart jars)
- Cucumbers
- 4-6 Cloves of Garlic Chopped (about 2 cloves per jar)
- 1 Onion Chopped (a small handful per jar)
- Fresh Dill
- Peppercorns (4 per jar)
- Ball Pickle Crisp (1/8 tsp per jar)
- Grapevine Leaf – one per jar (optional – it’s supposed to make the pickles crisp.)
*Note: Old-fashioned pickle recipes often call for Alum. Alum is a salt compound with varied uses from shrinking tissues, acting as a preservative, and helping to firm and crisp pickles. Alum contains aluminum which is linked to toxic effects if it is consumed in a large amount over time. However, most people do not eat large amounts of pickles. An updated alternative to Alum for making pickles crisp is Calcium Chloride. Ball has a product called Pickle Crisp, made with Calcium Chloride, that is supposed to work great.
If you want to omit this part of the recipe, I have read where soaking cucumbers in ice water for four to five hours before pickling is another way of making pickles crisp.
Amy recommends:
View on Amazon:
Pickle Canning Jars • Stainless Steel Tongs • Ball Pickle Crisp
How Do You Make Refrigerator Pickles?
1. Wash the cucumbers before canning by rinsing in water.
2. Sanitize the jars and lids. Clean jars with hot water and soap. My aunt placed her lids in boiling water and took them out gently with tongs.
3. Combine water, vinegar and salt to a pan and heat to nearly boiling. This makes the brine. The recipe says “Heat mixture just hot enough to put finger in.”
4. Add garlic, onions, Alum or Pickle Crisp (which ever one you prefer), fresh dill, 4 peppercorns and one grapevine leaf (optional) into a jar.
Our family recipe has no exact measurements for these items. You can see the amount of fresh dill my Aunt used in the jars here. It’s a good handful!
5. Pack cucumbers into the jars.
6. Use a funnel to pour the liquid mixture over the cucumbers in the jar.
7. Seal the lids on the jars and let them cool.
8. After the jars have cooled, place in the refrigerator for about 2 months to pickle before eating. Some have said they ate them after a month and they were delicious! It’s hard to wait.
How long will homemade pickles last?
If you’re like me and eat them right away, not long! They should stay in the refrigerator for 2 months, then make sure you eat them within two weeks after you open the jar. If you make these pickles, let me know!
Originally published on July 9, 2012
Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 quarts Water
- 1 quart White Vinegar
- 1 cup Pickling Salt - *makes enough liquid for six 1 quart jars
- 25 Small Cucumbers
- 6 cloves Garlic - Chopped (about 2 cloves per jar)
- 1 Onion - chopped (a small handful per jar)
- 2 bunches Fresh Dill
- 24 Peppercorns - 4 per jar
- 3/4 teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp - 1/8 tsp per jar
- 1 Grapevine Leaf per jar - optional - it's supposed to make the pickles crisp.
- 6 1 Quart Mason Jars
Instructions
- Wash the cucumbers before canning by rinsing in water.
- Sanitize your jars and lids. Clean jars with hot water and soap. Place lids in boiling water and remove gently with tongs.
- Combine water, vinegar and salt to a pan and heat to nearly boiling. This makes the brine. Our family recipe says "Heat mixture just hot enough to put finger in."
- Add garlic, onions, Pickle Crisp, fresh dill, 4 peppercorns and one grapevine leaf (optional) into a jar.
- Pack cucumbers into the jars.
- Use a funnel to pour the liquid mixture over the cucumbers in the jar.
- Seal the lids on the jars and let them cool.
- After the jars have cooled, place in the refrigerator for about 2 months to pickle before eating.
Notes
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below.
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Nutrition
Find more recipe ideas in my Free Meal Plans section.
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Melanie says
These are delicious ?, we are pickle lovers and these are wonderful!
Erin Shoup says
Serious pickle eaters here and they love them!
Tiffany says
I am new to pickling, and have been confused about cutting the ends off of the cucumber. Do you cut either end off of these?
Amy Locurto says
No, I don’t cut my cucumbers.
GREG t GOSWICK says
I made these and they are without question the best pickles i have ever made. Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
Amy Locurto says
Thanks! Glad you loved them!
HealthyLife WeRIndia says
I love making Homemade pickles, and homemade ones are the best. Your dill pickle looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.
Billy says
I love refrigerator dill pickles! Thank you so much for this recipe. Can’t wait to make them at home again, it has been so long!
Brett Berkhammer says
Has anybody ever tried processing the jars so that they seal?
Ashley Lester says
Have to try this sometime…..
Kristina Bizzarri says
My lids sealed – popped – so do I need to still keep them in the fridge before we open them?
David Reece says
Yes..this method requires they stay in the fridge all the time. It is not safe to store these without the proper canning process. Whether they seal or not, they are safe to eat as long as they have spent the entire time in your fridge.
Cynthia says
Can you use this recipe and make slices or spears?
Amy Locurto says
Yes, you can do slices or spears. I’m sure either one would taste just as good.
Pat DeGrio Russell says
Thanks for the recipe, Amy. Can't wait to try it!
lauri says
Hi! I made these today only added a habanero pepper to each jar because we like our pickles spicy. I have used a recipe almost exact to this for several years in a row, now, and NEVER wait 2 months to open them. In fact they are delicious the very next day! Of course, they get better with age, but I was told not to store refrigerator pickles for more than 2 weeks? Do you know anything about that? We usually eat ours within 2 weeks of being made for safety. Keeping them for 2 months before opening is a new one to me!
Amy Locurto says
Hi Lauri- This recipe has been in our family for decades. I’m just going by what I was told to do… never tried them before 2 months. That would be great if I didn’t have to wait:-) Recipes I have seen online when researching this says 2 months. So far so good for our family when it comes to safety.
Melissa Whitcher says
Hi Amy, I made these pickles in February and just opened them yesterday! They are great! I think I might have put just a little too much salt in mine though. Thanks for sharing your Aunt's recipe!
Melissa Whitcher
Cardie says
I just made these pickles, the first ever. So glad I found your recipe…thanks. I used 2 grape leaves, no alum or chloride and I will let you know if they stay crisp.
Melissa says
Just made these today! Can’t wait to try them in two months. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Rita says
Hi Amy,
This recipe was easy to follow…I made my pickles two months ago and just cracked open the first jar! They are salty, crunchy and delicious! Thanks for sharing this family recipe.
Rita
Julie Weaver says
I am trying a couple different reciepes for the refrigerator….hoping I can wait the desired time period to try them……we have been looking for a great pickle for “bloody mary’s”……also tried one for the water bath….will let you know how they all turn out.
Leah says
Thanks for this recipe. In this heat, it was a relief not having to boil a hot water bath. The jars looked beautiful and can’t wait to taste in 2 months. I also had some banana peppers that I used the brine on to test on.
Debbie says
This pickle recipe is easy and fun to make! My jars are in the refrigerator and marked with the date in September that they will be ready to try……….but I couldn’t wait! It’s been only 3 weeks, but I had to try one.
They are FABULOUS!!! This is the best recipe for refrigerator dills I’ve tried. Thanks!
Amy says
Debbie- that’s great to hear. I have to wait until mid-end of Sept. to try mine! I can’t wait. I hope they turn out as good as my aunt’s.
Tweety says
You didn’t mention how many 1 quart jars this amount of brine will fill.
Can’t wait to try them !
Mom of 2 Peas says
Just made some can’t wait to taste them in September!!
Leah says
Did u use white vinegar or cider vinegar? Can’t wait to try.
Kari says
My daughter and I just made these. We are so excited, but it is going to be so hard to wait for two months. We just wrote on the calendar that we can open them on Sept. 12. Yummy!!! It was a very special afternoon making them with my 9 year old daughter. Thank you!!!!!
jfay1995 says
yummy. I just made some of these about a week ago. Which now looking at this picture, I should go get some.
tra720 says
What if you can’t wait 2 months? 😉
Lisa Mac says
So Amy, by sealing on the lids, you just mean putting the clean lids and rings on top of jars? We do not have to seal them by hot water bath? I just want to make sure I understood you. Thank you for sharing your family’s recipe. Blessings.
Aunt Tricia says
Lisa, I’m Amy’s Aunt Tricia. The jars don’t have to go through a hot water bath if they will be stored in the refrigerator. Just be sure the brine is hot when you pour it over the cucumbers.
Michelle P. says
This is perfect, as I am picking about a dozen cucumbers/day and they are the pickling cucumbers so they are nice and small and perfect for this.
Rebecca says
So they are good in the fridge for two months or we should wait two months before eating them? How long are they good for?
Amy says
You leave them in the refrigerator for 2 months so they can pickle, then you can eat them.
Aunt Tricia says
Rebecca, I’m Amy’s Aunt Tricia. Amy’s correct about letting them pickle for a couple of months before eating them. We have kept the jars in the refrigerator for a year, and they still taste good and keep their crunch.
Scott says
Looks like a great recipe…but can they be hot water processed to make them shelf stable?
Amy says
Sorry, I’m not sure about that. This recipe is for refrigerator pickles. I would think the ingredients would work if you prefer to do shelf canning.
Aunt Tricia says
Scott, I’m Amy’s Aunt Tricia. Yes, this recipe can be hot water processed. We used to do that for shelf stability, but we think the pickles are crisper if we don’t put them through the hot water bath and keep them in the refrigerator instead.
Cheryl (@TidyMom) says
oh my girls would LOVE homemade dills!!…….my grandma used to make the BEST bread and butter/ sweet pickles, but sadly, I never got her recipe. Could you see if you aunt has one?
beautiful pictures too Amy!!
Amy says
Yes! I’ll check with her. I’m sure she has something. I only like sweet pickles if they are homemade and really crunchy. Those are the best!
janet says
I’ve discovered this recipe and love them!
Janet says
No spaces. https:// oldworldgardenfarms.com/2013/07/12/ canned-sweet-pickle-recipe-with-honey-no-sugar/
Aunt Tricia says
This is great! Thanks!