Refrigerator Dill Pickles

In the summer, my cousins and I would play outside all day. Periodically, we’d sneak into the refrigerator in the garage and eat icebox dill pickles. It’s one of my fondest childhood memories.

And I still love dill pickles. For years, I wasted my money buying them at the store. But these days, I like to make them with one of my grandmother’s pickle recipes.

And now, I’d like to share that refrigerator dill pickle recipe with you! It’s perfect for when you’ve grown cucumbers, have a bumper crop and don’t know what to do with all of them. And it also works well with store bought Persian cucumbers.

In the end, these refrigerator dill pickles with onions are salty, garlicky goodness 💚

A few things…

• ・Pickling salt dissolves well, does not contain iodine, and keeps the brine clear. I recommend sticking to a canning & pickling salt.

• ・This recipe makes ~8 cups of brine. How much you use will depend on the size of your glass containers and how how densely you pack them. I used two 32 ounce glass jars, and had some brine leftover.

• ・The amount of cucumbers you use will vary based on how many you can squeeze into the container you’re using, how you slice them, etc. I used 20 Persian cucumbers that were ~6 inches long, but I have also had success with lunchbox cucumbers in the past.

• ・Make sure the cucumbers are very fresh, and cleaned thoroughly before using.

• ・It’s best practice to use a sealable glass container, like a glass jar, and avoid plastic.

• ・When packing the jars, leave an inch at the top of the jar. Then, when you fill the jar with brine, the cucumbers are completely submerged.

• ・These pickles must be stored in the refrigerator. They are not shelf stable.

• ・These pickles last in the refrigerator for ~2 weeks, but always use your best judgement. I like to put a piece of masking tape on the jar and label it with the date, so I know when I made it.

Enjoy on anything you like dill pickles for, like on burgers, in chickpea salad for sandwiches and so much more! Or just sneak one out of the fridge every now and then 😊

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped into large pieces

1 cup sliced white onion

8-10 black peppercorns

Fresh dill, a generous amount

20-30 Persian cucumbers or lunchbox cucumbers, sliced or cut into spears

2 cups distilled white vinegar

6 cups water

⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp canning and pickling salt (I used Morton Canning & Pickling Salt)

1. In a clean, 32 ounce glass jar, add a few sprigs of fresh dill, 2 pieces of garlic, some white onion, and a peppercorn. Cover it with a layer of cucumber.

2. Continue alternating between the cucumber slices and the layers of dill, garlic, onion, and peppercorn. I usually use ~4 whole peppercorn per jar. Leave about an inch at the top.

3. Fill up another 32 ounce glass jar with cucumber slices or spears, dill, garlic, white onion, and peppercorn. Then, set the jars aside.

4. In a medium saucepan, add the distilled white vinegar, water and pickling salt. Over high heat, bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Then, pour into the jars until the brine covers everything.

5. Seal the lid, and allow them to cool. Store in the refrigerator. Ready to eat in 2 days. Lasts in the refrigerator for ~2 weeks, but always use your best judgement.