These Garlic and Dill 24-Hour Refrigerator Pickles are quick, easy, crisp, and absolutely packed with flavor. There’s no canning needed, and they’re a perfect way to use up some of those cucumbers from the garden or farmer’s market!
Homemade pickles are the best pickles, and they’re so simple to make. Enjoy them alongside or on a sandwich, wrap or burger, or just pull a few out of the jar for a yummy snack!
I am still working my way through all of the cucumbers in my garden. In addition to making lots of salads and just enjoying them fresh with a little sea salt, making quick pickles (or “quickles” as we like to call them) is a must.
Now, when it comes to pickles, I’ll admit that I can be a bit persnickety. Most store-bought jarred or canned pickles that are hot-processed just don’t do it for me.
Although there are some that I enjoy (namely, the ones you find in the refrigerated section), more often than not, the taste, texture and color are just not what I’m looking for.
So what kind of pickles do I like? Garlicky, dilly, vinegary, slightly sweet, crunchy pickles that look and taste super fresh, like a really good house-made deli pickle.
These homemade pickles are exactly that, and the best part is they’re incredibly easy to make!
I love these pickles so much that, unless I really need pickles in a hurry and don’t have any on hand, I don’t buy them anymore. It’s too easy to make my own, and the flavor can’t be beat!
To make them, all you need is a few basic ingredients and only about 15 minutes of prep time to slice the cucumbers, put them in the jars, and make and add the brine.
Then just let them cool down, stick them in the fridge, and they’ll be ready to enjoy in just 24 hours!
And although they are very good after 24 hours, that garlicky dill flavor just keeps getting more intense and better every day (they can last up to a month in the refrigerator).
I have been caught many a time with my fingers in the pickle jar. They’re irresistibly delicious!
Ingredients you need:
- Cucumbers
- Garlic
- Mustard seeds
- Black peppercorns
- Fresh dill (or you can substitute dried)
- White distilled vinegar
- Water
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
Here’s a look at how to make Garlic and Dill 24-Hour Refrigerator Pickles:
Note: This is just a quick overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe with detailed instructions.
Tips & Tidbits:
- If you can get pickling cucumbers, they are the best to use (Kirby is a popular pickling cucumber) because they have thinner skins, less seeds, and a very crunchy texture. Since they are often smaller in size, you may need more of them.
- That being said, more often than not, I can’t get pickling cucumbers, and so I wrote this recipe to use regular medium-sized slicing cucumbers (try to pick smaller ones that don’t have a lot of big seeds).
- When I use grocery store cucumbers, I prefer English cucumbers – the long, thin ones individually wrapped in plastic. They have a thinner skin without the waxy coating and very few seeds.
- If you can’t get fresh dill, you can use about 1 teaspoon of dried dill (1/2 teaspoon per jar). The freeze-dried dill you can find in the produce section is my favorite.
- Make sure the cucumbers are completely covered in the brine; uncovered cucumbers can spoil faster. You can fill the jars right to the top.
- If, once you start eating the pickles, there is no longer enough brine to cover the remaining pickles (I find this happens more often with the long spears), to help them last longer, you can add equal amounts of vinegar and water until you have enough to cover them.
- Sometimes garlic will turn a turquoise or bluish color when pickled. Don’t worry…it is still perfectly fine to eat. This color is the result of a normal chemical reaction between the allicin in the garlic and the acid in the vinegar.
- Since these pickles are not canned, they are not shelf-stable and must be kept stored in the refrigerator. They will last for up to a month (and will get a bit softer the longer they sit). In our house, we eat them way faster than that!
And, hey, if you still have some zucchini to use up, guess what? You can totally use zucchini instead of cucumbers. They make excellent pickles as well!
I hope you try this Garlic and Dill 24-Hour Refrigerator Pickles recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
- Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets
- Easy Refrigerator Pickled Carrots
- Creamy Cucumber Salad With Onion and Dill
- Cucumber and Onion Salad
- Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad
Garlic and Dill 24-Hour Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 2 medium cucumbers, about 8 to 9 inches long each, washed and ends trimmed off
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, divided
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, divided
- 2 heaping teaspoons fresh chopped dill, divided
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Equipment
- 2 pint-sized mason jars with lids
Instructions
- Slice the cucumbers.To make spears, cut each cucumber in half crosswise and then cut each half into 8 spears that are about 3 to 4 inches long (for a total of 32 spears; 16 per jar) If making round slices, cut each cucumber into 16 slices, each about ¼ inch thick (for a total of 32 rounds; 16 per jar).
- Tightly pack the cucumbers into the jars.
- Add one clove of garlic to each jar, tucking it down into the cucumbers.
- Add ½ teaspoon of the mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon of the peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of the dill to each jar.
- Place the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved.
- Pour the hot brine into the jars, making sure to cover the cucumbers completely (uncovered cucumbers can spoil faster; since we are not canning, you can fill the jars right to the top).
- Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature (this will take about 30 minutes).
- Place the lids on the jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving (the flavor will intensify the longer the sit in the fridge).
Notes
- These pickles are not shelf-stable, and so they must be kept stored in the refrigerator; they will last up to a month (note that they will get a bit softer the longer they sit).
- If you can’t get fresh dill, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried dill (1/2 teaspoon in each jar). Freeze-dried dill from the produce section is my favorite.
- Estimated calories shown are for one spear or slice.
- If, once you start eating the pickles, there is no longer enough brine to cover the remaining pickles (I find this happens more often with the long spears), to make them last longer, you can add equal amounts of vinegar and water until there is enough to cover them (pickles that are not covered in brine can spoil faster).
Leave a Reply