Every summer, I make a note on my Oh My God Good Vegetables Are Finally Here! cooking to-do list (what, you don’t keep one?) to post about how to make classic dill pickles. Every week they’re available, I pick up nearly a bucket of perfect-for-pickling kirby cucumbers from the Greenmarket for my cucumber-junkie family with the greatest intention of finally making good on this promise. And I never, ever do. It might be that the first couple times I tried, many years ago, my always-too-hot kitchen molded both jars, traumatizing me at the end of the jars’ incubation periods. It might be that because I live in NYC, when I want an insanely good sour pickle, I just go to The Pickle Guys on Essex Street or track down some from Guss’. Like bagels, killer soup dumplings, or Halal cart street meat, amazing pickles are in a category of food you have to be extremely driven and possibly cuckoo to make at home in NYC. I mean, I am, but apparently not enough.
I make these instead. These are our go-to fridge pickle, and they are ludicrously easy. Do you have salt? Do you have vinegar? You’re set. They’re passable an hour later, excellent 6 to 8 hours later, and you can also enjoy them three weeks from now — though by then, we’ll be on our third batch.
Most fridge pickles expect you to heat a brine with vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Garlic is sliced, complex pickle spice blends are purchased or assembled, usually leaving me seeking uptown and down for elusive dill seeds. I’ve found you need none of this to make an excellent pickled cucumber. All I do when I get the cucumbers home is wash them, slice them thin, pile them in a lidded jar, sprinkle in some salt, plain white vinegar and a few snips of fresh dill, if I remembered to buy it too, and give it a good shake and place them in the front of the fridge so you’ll remember when you look in to shake them once or twice more. The water component of the cucumbers is enough to form a sloshy brine within a couple hours.
We pile them onto sandwiches. We chop them into salads, potato and other. We eat them straight, in a little pile on our plates. Sheesh, I even tuck them into my son’s lunchbox, in the smallest container and it always (unlike the other vegetable compartments, sigh) comes back empty. Everyone needs more recipes like this in their back pocket, ridiculously easy ways to use mountains of summer produce with a delightfully low effort-to-result factor.
Pickles, previously: Bread and Butter Pickles, Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw, Pickled Sugar Snap Peas, Giardiniera and more.
One year ago: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes (raise your hand if you still make this all the time!) (we do!)
Two years ago: Peach Pie
Three years ago: Charred Corn Tacos with Zucchini-Radish Slaw
Four years ago: Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza
Five years ago: Thai-Style Chicken Legs
Six years ago: Salad Olivier
Seven years ago: Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles
You can tweak these in any number of ways. You can add a couple cloves of garlic, lightly crushed but still inside their skin. You can use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dill seeds instead of the fresh dill or 1 tablespoon of pickling spice, if you prefer that flavor. You could add all or a part of one white onion, sliced paper thin (use one less Kirby to compensate for volume). You can add a bay leaf or two. But, for us at least, the treat is how you can skip all of the above and still make a perfect pickle snack. With four ingredients, you’ve got no excuse not to always have them on hand.
If you can’t find kirbys, seedless cucumbers (those long ones usually in plastic) also work here, although they’ll be less crunchy.
[Updated: A few people commented that they found these too salty. I’m so sorry. I’m now recommending a modified amount, to be safe. You can bump up the salt as high as 5 teaspoons if you find you’d like more.]
8 larger or to 10 smaller firm, fresh Kirby (pickling) cucumbers
3 teaspoons kosher, coarse or pickling salt (if using a featherweight brand such as Diamond, use a little more)
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup white vinegar
Slice your cucumbers very thin — I used 1/8-inch slices here but usually go even thinner on a mandoline. Place them in a 1-liter or equivalent lidded jar. Add 3 teaspoons salt and dill, then pour in white vinegar. Close the jar and give it a few shakes to begin distributing the ingredients.
You’re going to find the liquid level in the jar worrisomely low as it is well below the pickle pile line, but don’t fret. Within an hour or two, the salt will draw the moisture from the cucumbers and wilt them, while the liquid becomes a perfectly balanced pickle brine.
Place jar in the refrigerator near the front, which should remind you to shake it once or twice more over the new few hours. (Or whenever you’re back at the fridge.) You can eat them as little as 1 to 2 hours later, but they become ideal at 6 to 8 hours. They’ll keep in the fridge, submerged in their brine, for 3 weeks, though never around here.
Just a little NYC sourcing shout-out: There are several local farms that bring kirby cucumbers to the Greenmarkets, but by far, my favorites to seek out come from Kernan Farms, where they have them for over a month each summer and they’re always incredibly crisp. During the growing season, they’re at St. Marks Church Tuesdays, Union Square Wednesdays, Borough Hall Thursdays, 97th Street Fridays, Grand Army Plaza and Abington Square Saturdays and Bensonhurst Sundays.
I love these photos! So bright and cheerful. I, too, look forward to fresh produce every summer, especially green beans. Mmmmm. Pickled green beans (and asparagus) in a bloody mary is the closest thing to heaven. Now my mouth is watering!
Ooh, that farro dish.
With Jacob’s apparent pigeon love, I’ve got to ask (to make sure that guys know about) Mo’ Willems and his pigeon books. I have yet to meet a little one that doesn’t love, love, love those books. My sister is a children’s/YA librarian and those are an industry favorite. (And for good reason.)
Molly — We have one, but it’s not our favorite. However, we have almost every single Gerald and Piggy book and they’re something of a household obsession. I’m pretty sure they’re how he taught himself to read, because he couldn’t bear to not be read them every moment of the day.
I made these 2 days ago, and they are half gone already. So tasty, the color is gorgeous and not too salty with the reduced amount in the updated recipe. I love it when something with such simple ingredients tastes so good! Thanks!
I made fridge pickles for the first time last year and loooved them! It’s so nice to be able to control the flavors. I like putting garlic and hot pepper flakes in mine.
Now your talkin’ sista!
Love the briny taste of pickles, especially gherkins, and love dill too. Recipes can be complicated, but this one is simple, looks fresh and ab. delicious. Looking forward to trying it. Thank you. :)
Is the ice stage not necessary for these? Will these still come out crunchy?
Have you ever tried them as spears, maybe with extra fridge time?
Also, thank you! I’ve been reading this website for SEVEN years and as long as you keep writing I’ll be reading.
My favorite thing growing up was when my mom just popped some sliced cucumber in rice vinegar overnight in the fridge, I’m sure these will be even better! And for some reason my boyfriend is obsessed with the idea of making our own pickles (he must have picked it up from Portlandia) so I think we’re gonna have to try these.
Nom nom nom. I’ll have to try this once I get my hands on some cucumbers! Another way I’ve also made quick pickles is with equal parts water to rice vinegar with some onions added and dill. Pretty quick, easy, and fresh!
Hi! Love this recipe and was wondering what size jar you used. Thanks!
Kirby cukes should be available locally until a frost – probably mid-to-late September.
Not only are they best for pickling, they are some kids’ favorite snack food. Always keep a bag of ’em in the fridge – they fit perfectly in little hands.
If you happen to see Merry at Kernan’s, please tell her Kasha Bialas says hello :)
I have regular cukes growing in the backyard, not a Kirby/picking variety, and soon will be overrun with them. Can they hold up to pickling like this?
Just a quick question: why keep the garlic in the skin? I tend to crush and peel them and toss them in, but if I can skip a step…
teegan — You can take it out if that’s your preference. It works either way. I usually leave it on because you don’t have to remove it to infuse the flavor.
Sian — They will pickle just fine like this, but they may not taste as much like classic pickles.
Kasha — I will, but I haven’t seen Merry all year!
Tara — I used a 1 liter. It will collapse to half the size.
Shifra — I never use ice for fridge pickles. What does it add?
Christine — Definitely. The thicker the slice or piece, the longer it takes, but almost all should be fairly pickled after a day.
I adore pickles and am all for easy, can’t wait to try these!
So I made pickles for the first time last summer and loved them… so I made a ton… and then they kind of… over-pickled. Is there a way to get the pickling process to stop once they reach half-sour (or whatever your desired level of pickle-ness is)? Or did I skip an obvious step?
From the looks of these, they look about half-sour – is that how you’d describe them? They look delicious. Will definitely have to try. Thanks!
Can’t wait to make these, Deb! I’ve been craving sandwiches like nobody’s business with all toppings under the sun. Banana peppers, wasabi horseradish, mustard, onions, lettuce, tomato, and of course – pickles. I can’t justify the added chemicals they put in store-bought pickles, and I’ve been searching for a plain old sandwich pickle that would fit the bill. Yours is perfect!
I’ve made your Bread and Butter Pickles before and they turned out beautifully, so I know these will be fab, too. Thanks!
I was just telling my husband it’s a shame we never eat pickles at home (I have never found a store-bought variety that I like, so I never buy them). Even though I’m a home-pickling novice, this recipe is too simple not to try. Can’t wait! Also, yes, the one-pot farro is favorite and on our menu for tomorrow actually!
This is perfect because I love pickles year round, but it’s even better in the summer when cucumbers are dirt cheap! Also, any suggestions on jars from anyone, canning purists or otherwise?
Deb, have you ever had the sweet and sour pickles from the banh mi place on 12th and University or from Momofuku? They’re like the best things ever, and I would love to know how to make them.
Penzey’s (penzeys.com) has dill seed easily available, and it’s also guaranteed to be the best and most reasonably priced. They do mail order and they have brick-and-mortars, too. I just reorganized my spice shelf last night and it’s about 2/3 Penzeys.
Penzeys has EVERYTHING!!! They started in the lower half of a big house just north of Miller Brewery in Milwaukee, a mere 6 blocks from my grandparents house. I am 54 and remember going there at age 10 or so and opening all the apothecary jars to smell the spices. (my daughter not a fan of doing this and cried when I had her smell the ground cloves, my favorite) Anyway, the absolute musts that I get every time I go are the Korintje cinnamon and the Natural High Fat Cocoa! I am a professional baker and it is the absolute best cocoa ever (non Dutched, I find it much deeper and richer flavored) So yes, Penzeys has everything including Dill Seed.
would cider vinegar work here instead of white? thanks!
I have an abundance of summer squash. I know it won’t remotely taste the same as pickles, but do you think this process would work with summer squash? In terms of having enough liquid in it to be pulled out by the salt, I mean. We loved pickled green beans in this house, too, but now I’m trying to figure out what to do with all this squash.
Michelle — I think it sounds really neat and they’re definitely full of water (not sure how it compares, more or less, with cukes). Would love to hear how it goes!
nannette — Yes. It’s a little sweeter and more mild and the color more beige, but it will still pickle them.
witloof — I haven’t, but you might check out the Momofuku cookbook and see if there’s anything on their pickles in it.
Jill — How did you make them, lacto fermentation or, like this, a fridge pickle with vinegar as a starter? They do continue to pickle as long as they’re in the brine, but they’ve never gone, I’d say, much past where they’d be at 2 days for me. I haven’t played around much with removing them from the vinegar once they hit the level you want, but it might work. My concern would be the pickles molding.
@#19 The Episodic Eater: Although they may not be as pretty as Deb’s jars, any quart Ball or Kerr canning jar will work here and because you are not heating the jar or even the brine, any used food grade glass jar would do. I personally would not use plastic jars because I do not think that most can be cleaned thoroughly. Pickling cucumbers are best (especially fresh from your own garden) if you can find them reasonably priced. I love the smallest ones best!
Gerald & Piggy ROCK!!! I have a certified Therapy Dog and we do the Tales To Tails program with kids, and those books are the best for everyone. Every child loves them, I never get sick of them, and they make everyone happy.
Can’t wait to try these! My husband has to watch his sodium levels and I like that these will be lower in sodium than commercial brands.
I LOVE pickles! Alton Brown’s firecrackers (sweet and spicy baby carrots) are divine when made with green beans and sliced onions! And Wickles (also sweet and spicy) are so good we often just eat them from the jar in front of our refrigerator. Also LOVE Jacob’s pigeon story (even if pigeons are kind of gross).
I make my 1-2-3 salad with my Kirbys. 1 cup sugar, 2 cups vinegar, 3 cups water. Boil it all up to dissolve the sugar, load them into a container with a little salt and pepper and then YUUUUUM!
We really like pickles around here so will have to try these.
Last year I got a recipe for refrigerator dills you make by the 5-quart bucket full (and can keep for months). Our two batches from late August were gone before Thanksgiving.
I like to take the skin off of the garlic cloves because they also taste delicious when pickled!
I make fridge pickles every Summer as well. I add some red pepper flakes to make a spicy version. Here’s my recipe if you want to give a spicy version a try: http://twoforksonelove.com/spicy-refrigerator-dill-pickles-no-canning-required/
These look absolutely delightful. I like how accessible they are – no weird ingredients or excess of dill. I will probably add garlic to mine.
These should solve my constant cravings for our local sandwich shop’s fresh pickles. Have you tried making them with whole peppercorns in the brine? I like my pickles a little peppery but I’d love to know if whole peppercorns will impart the flavor I’m looking for.
In the fridge now…I used an old spaghetti sauce jar (maybe 20 oz) with plans to make a half recipe but could only get 3 cucumbers in. I’m going to assume they are just particularly big cucumbers and will still leach enough liquid to make the brine.
HOORAY. I make refrigerator dills too, and I thought they were simple — but not quite as simple as this! Must try and compare. For science!
Mmm… pickles! Ironically I hate cucumbers, but love pickles. :) I was just out in the garden noticing my pickling cucumbers are finally growing!
Deb, I have to ask – where do you go for soup dumplings in the city? My boyfriend and I have gone to Joe’s Shanghai, and Shanghai Cafe on Mott St. Is there anywhere else you like better? So far I prefer Shanghai Cafe.
Beth — Actually, our favorites are at M. Shanghai in Williamsburg. I haven’t been to Shanghai Cafe on Mott Street, though. Have you ever looked into how they’re made? I did and became fascinated.
Try Kung Fu Kitchen across from Port Authority (also has a couple of other locations). May sound unlikely, but some of the best I’ve had. They also have wonderful homemade noodles.
@Michelle, #23 – pickle those suckers!! Last year I had a little squash & a little big of beans so I gave all of them the dilly-bean-treatment. The squash (technically zucchini) were my favorite pickles of the summer! I cut them into spears and they stayed crisp until I finished off my jars months later (they were processed, not fridge pickles). In fact, this year I planted 2 squash plants instead of one, which might be the death of me; thank goodness for pickles & fritters!
I have some (summer squash, I believe, the yellow ones?) cut into coins and in a brine. There’s a lot of liquid in there from the squash, but it’s still below the vegetable line. I’m not sure if shaking it a few more times would suffice or if I should add some water or more vinegar? At any rate, tomorrow I’ll get to test what I have tomorrow!
I’ve noticed that it does matter where one gets their pickling cucumbers from; I’m talking regionally here. They always seem to be crunchier when grown in a hot climate (I’m in Western Washington). I’ve compared cool vs hot and I am sold on hot! We’ll be driving 3 hours on an adventure just to source some good, hot pickling cukes! We usually can all ours, but I’ll be putting this recipe to good use, Deb! Thank you!
It’s really hard to find kirby cucumbers in England, so will try this with some English ones. I love that it looks so doable.
great summer treat! my 5 year old loves pickles. i will make these for him asap.
Yes on refrigerator pickles! I am up top my knees in cucumbers, I dice them into water, make breadless sandwiches and rafts of noodles. And how nice to have a crispy pickle, without a ton of steamy canning.
I LOVE dill pickles and so does my partner… we have to buy the jumbo jar most weeks to keep up with our pickle and cheese cravings. I will have to give these homemade ones ago when summer hits.
I’m raising my hand for the One Pan Farro!! We make it all the time and my grown children make it as well. It’s so good and easy. Also love refrigerator pickles. My aunt Olga gave me essentially the same recipe years ago and I had forgotten about it until now.
That picture of your son is ADORABLE. Unfortunately, I’m not one for pickled anything. Will have to send this recipe to my uncle, though, he loves anything and everything in pickled form! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi Deb. These look great! Can you use whole, unsliced cucumbers?
Lev — I would at least cut them lengthwise, or it could take a while for them to pickle.
I’m raising my hand about the one-pan farro! One of my favorite dishes to date! So easy, so good, so rustic, yet somehow, so fancy.
I’ve got 4 pickling cucumber plants about to explode with cucumber out in the garden. Can’t wait til their ready for these pickles!
So where do you go for soup dumplings, or just dumplings in general…
I have been using a very similar recipe (red wine vinegar instead of white) to pickle radish slices. First it was the ones from my CSA, but now I can’t stop! Mmmm!
Hi, Deb. Big fan here in Oklahoma. Will this work with watermelon rind?
Rosemary — I haven’t pickled watermelon rind, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’ve been meaning to try this Bon Appetit recipe forever, but it’s definitely a sweet pickle.
Ooh, I will keep M. Shanghai in mind. We’ll be in the city this weekend but I doubt we’ll get out to Williamsburg, unfortunately. I have seen how they’re made and it’s totally wild! Not sure I’m game to do it myself, though a soup dumpling is certainly a gorgeous and wonderful thing.
PS: I recently made your sour cream and raspberry gratin as the finale to a dinner I made for my boyfriend’s family. It was a show stopper, and was devoured.
I love pickles! I’ve never tried to make them, though. I have considered the refrigerator pickle, but never got around to it.
I live in California, and there’s a fruit stand in walking distance that has had “pickling” cucumbers. I hope they still have some so that I can try this.
i know you said not to worry about the liquid level…it’s definitely gone up but they’ve been in the fridge for about 6 hours and the liquid isn’t covering the cucumbers at all. Is my container too big? Is that a problem? Will the liquid continue to rise?
Elana — Mine don’t get deeply submerged, more like eventually collapse into the liquid level. Regardless, they should be just fine; give them an extra shake or two until even the cucumbers outside the liquid are pickled.
Verdict with summer squash? Delicious! Thanks again for the nudge into happy pickles.
Michelle — Thanks for the verdict! Now, I must.
I bought 5# of daikon for a buck which I pickled like this. Peeled, matchsticks on mandoline, and small pieces of ginger in every layer, lasted a year in the frig before I finished them. I also went rebel and saved pickle juice, boiled it into half, and reused it for quick cucumber pickles like yours. Another $1 for 5 cucs, peeled halfway, slice and pour. Finally, we do hot peppers/ jalapeños this way as well. As long as I use fresh vinegar,its shelf stable, but watch to make sure the veg stays below liquid. I have a more complicated recipe for gairdiniera but its worth it! Got hooked on that pickle living in Chicago, and can’t have an Italian sandwich without it.
I’m totally gonna make this. I can get the most amazing gherkins in pretty much every supermarket here in Berlin (sorry New York, but nothing compares to a Spreewaldgurke!), still I always wanted to pickle some myself. This recipe seems hassle-free. I might throw a little sugar and some mustard seeds in there as well as this is how I like them. Let’s see. Thanks for sharing!
Who doesn’t love a good cold pickle on their sandwich? And I wholeheartedly agree, simple is always the best way to go on these kinds of things.
Truth: received cukes yesterday…made pickles…annnnd they’re gone! Sooo yum. Thanks, Deb!
I was hoping to make these tonight (even picked up the kirbys from the St. Marks greenmarket!) but realized I don’t have a big enough jar. Could I use a large tupperware, or does it need to have the tight seal of a jar? Pickling newbie here! Thanks!
Annie — Yes. Some people say pickling isn’t ideal in plastic containers, but you’ll be just fine with a fridge pickle. My MIL makes hers in plastic containers all of the time.
[Edited to add:] I can’t believe I forgot to mention anywhere in this recipe that you can also just put this whole mess in a freezer bag. It makes it really easy to move everything around (no shaking). It’s not my favorite way to store the pickles for more than a couple days, but you can, it will be just fine, and you won’t have to hunt down any jars or containers that don’t leak.
Still ADORE the One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes!!!
Too much salt. Inedible.
Omg…put wrong amount in. Im sorry!! Will try again.
Deb, I LOVE pickles. Best to date are from the Kettle Kitchen in Intercourse, PA.(Lancaster. Go. It’s worth it.) I’ll spare you my gushing about pickles. I made Ball’s refrigerator pickles last summer, so today I used the spice cabinet leftovers (pickling spice, dill seed, black peppercorns, yellow mustard seed, plus fresh garlic) to make a batch of these PLUS I made this recipe (only split the dill half fresh, half seed) and they are DELICIOUS! Your recipe is way better than my improv (duh). 90% of the awesomeness of this recipe is the fun of shaking the jar/10% awesomeness is how ridiculously easy these pickles are. I love that I don’t have to wait 2 weeks for them to cure. They will be a staple in my fridge for…forever. Or at least every summer.
Made them last night, using yellow mustard seed instead of dill and added one clove of garlic. Tried them this morning and they’re awesome!! Will be sharing widely and making often -thank you!
Could you give an approximate weight for the cucumbers? I have a lot of them in my fridge but don’t have a sense of how many would be equivalent to the cucumbers you used here. Thanks!
okay, made them with marketmore cucumbers (because i picked 10 from my garden yesterday and it felt wrong to buy more!) and they are fantastic. the proportions are perfect. thank you!
I bought 8 Kirby Cucumbers but could only fit about 5 in the 1 liter jar once they were all sliced up. I used 1/2 cup of vinegar and 4 teaspons of Kosher Salt (5 seemed like a lot). After shaking them and waiting about two hours they had settled enough that I was able to squeeze another 2 cucumbers sliced up in the jar and shake everything up. They are insanely salty! I like a salty pickle but these are almost inedible. Do I need to use all 10 cucumbers and just buy a bigger jar?
Liza — Hm, sorry that it was too salty. We make these all of the time with those measurements and don’t find it so. To salvage: drain and rinse the pickles and put them in a new puddle of vinegar. Their saltiness should balance out in another day. You can add the last two cukes too. If I see more complaints about the saltiness, I will definitely add a recipe warning.
Tamar — BRB with that. :)
May I compliment you on your AMAZING photographs? The quality is so perfect and the fact that you’re blogging from New York is so inspiring! x
Cool! We are pickling our cucumbers as I read this. I’ve been way in sync with your blog lately.
I was craving pickles and made these same day–the best ever. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe which makes sense and avoids everything unnecessary! Except garlic. For me garlic is always necessary–cheers!
What a simple and delicious way of pickling cucumbers! When I make a meal for our family, I always try to add a home made item. This will be perfect for the burgers this weekend.
I picked the first several cukes from my garden yesterday & immediately made these! I also picked a couple cherry bomb peppers, so I sliced one verrrrrry thin and threw it in. I figure, there are no rules to pickles. I found them a little too salty, so I think I’d cut the salt a little – maybe by about a third – next time I make them. Luckily I’m going to have eleventy bajillion cucumbers in my garden. I’ll get to make them lots. :)
That is so crazy, I thought my father was the only person who made these. His is with red wine vinegar and he adds sliced onions to the mix as well. I was pretty surprised seeing this as it reminded me of when I was a kid lol. Thanks for sharing this recipe I think it’s killer.
Without a doubt tomorrow (Friday) I’m going to the market and choosing the best cucumbers for pickling.
By the way, I got your food blog after reading an article about successful bloggers in one of the newspapers in Israel.
Since then, I’m addicted to your site, the colors and the food recipes. Your inspiration Caused me to cook more, and share with friends and acquaintances.
thanks a lot
Pazit Peled
I found these quite salty as well (fixed by dumping out a bunch of the brine, and adding more pickles and plain vinegar), but I used regular table salt. With table salt, should the salt measurement be much less? I’m on vacation and don’t have any fancy salts here…
LSS – yes, table salt is more “concentrated” per tsp because the grains are so fine. You want to use approximately half the amount when you sub table salt for coarse or kosher salt. (I made this recipe yesterday with table salt and with that substitution, it is just mildly briny but not overly salty.)
Deb – still obsessed with the one-pit farro. It will remain eternally in heavy rotation as long as Costco carries farro :)
LSS — Late response, but as Shellie said, yes. It’s at least twice as salty as Kosher salt. I’ve talked more about salts (which are best considered by weight) over here.
Gail — ILY but I cannot believe I spent a minute of my life watching that video.
I jammed more cucumbers in the jar and it helped cut the saltiness. Thanks!!!
Hi Deb- great post as usual! Can’t wait to make these. I’m in the market for a good butchers knife. Any suggestions for one that won’t completely break the budget? Thanks!
Jennie — I’m not an expert at all. I do love my Global knives; you can definitely get one of their chefs knives for under $100 and they get very sharp. But there are a lot more brands out there now than there were when I last shopped — it’s definitely worth looking around. Good luck!
The green cucumbers make for some lovely photos for this post. These remind me of the scrumptious pickles my mother and grandmother used to make with cucumbers from their garden every summer.
I’ve been doing triage on my neglected vegetable garden after work this week. Today, buried under the peas and a bunch of weeds, I found my cucumbers, with a single oversized pickling cucumber. I immediately picked a bit of scraggly dill and set to work on this. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
These look great but I must echo the request for the approx. weight of the cucumbers you used! I actually was inspired to buy a kitchen scale by your blog and I now rely on it :) Kirby cukes at the farmers market where I live come in 3 different sizes (plus all the natural variation) so a weight here would be much appreciated so they don’t come out way under- or over-salted. Thanks!
I impulsively bought farmers market radishes last week. “They’re great raw!” Mr. Vegetable Vendor said. They were not. So last night I thinly sliced them, put them in jar with my vinegar, salt, and dill, and BOOM’T – this morning, I awoke to the most amazing (and stunningly crimson) pickled radishes. Or radish pickles. Or Awesome Things That I Now Need To Invent a Sandwich For So I Can Put Them On It. So thanks, Deb! (Even though I totally used the recipe for not-as-stated purpose.)
I made these with sea salt, and used 4tsp instead of 5, and they came out way too salty.. Next time I will use two tsp. Other than that, these were super delicious and will become a staple. :)
This is pre-cise-ly and ex-act-ly what I needed and wanted. CSAs sometimes give a bounty, and pickling cucumbers were what I was hoping for… and but I needed guidance, and you have amply provided. Thank you!! I already made them and they are tasty, tasty!
I had zucchini, no kosher salt, and a smaller jar than suggested, so I had to fudge the amounts a little. Still delicious!
As advertised! Using a mandoline, mine were in the frig in under 20 mins. start to finish. And, wow I am amazed how good these are after 90 mins. I added 1 clove of garlic and followed the basic recipe. Highly recommend! Thanks Deb, your recipes never disappoint! Serving these w/pulled pork sandwiches.
Back to vouch for the result/labor ratio on these. Sometimes you think you know something about something and then a process so simple comes along…mind blown!
Got my pickles in the fridge as I type this. Yay! I love cucumber season! I often make a salad that is basically cucumbers brined with onions and peppers. This should be great!
Any chance on a weight of pickles? I’m using heirlooms I’ve grown…
Sorry, weight of cukes is what I meant ;)
I absolutely adore your recipes but for health reasons had to begin an autoimmune protocol diet, which eliminates so many foods it’s near impossible to enjoy the things I live for – like pickles. Even the designer $8 a jar pickles list things like “spices” so I can’t risk it. Saw your recipe, ran to the store and for $8, I now have about 4,000 delicious (and AIP approved!) pickle slices! Pickle nirvana! Many thanks!!!!
You’ve made my pickle dreams come true I’ve been dying to be able to pickle. So thank you. I made them this afternoon and wow! I may never buy a jar of pickles again. The hardest part was keeping my fingers from getting sliced off. Super easy otherwise!
I am a new pickle convert after a lifelong aversion, so I was super excited to try these. Unfortunately I had the same problem as Liza #76. I used a quart Ball canning jar, and I couldn’t fit nearly as many Kirby cukes in the jar. I used coarse salt but I guess I should have cut back with the lesser number of cucumbers as mine is pretty salty too. I will try again!
I made these yesterday, and really love the snap of fresh dill. However, they turned out very salty, and I love salt! I used 5 tsp. of kosher salt for nearly two very large English hothouse cukes (about 4C thinly sliced and packed into a 1 Qt. container). Next time I’d use about 3 tsp. of salt. Today I drained off the pickling liquid and thinned it 1:1 with more white vinegar, and added it back. It tastes a bit better now.
Yesterday I put up three quart jars using 10 Kirbys. Didn’t notice what yours yielded. I used 5 t. salt in each jar…also could probably have used less. Still are very good but a little salty. I think I’ll try what Kim did, using 3 t. after draining and adding new vinegar.
Almost forgot…I absolutely love your site. Have referenced it and used recipes many times.
I just made these… they couldn’t have been easier! Stunningly beautiful as well! I made 1/2 recipe for just the two of us, and because it was the largest glass container I had. I cannot wait to taste them! I have a feeling I will be on the lookout for a larger glass container!
Oh my goodness…deliciousness!! we were eating them right out of the jar with our forks, never mind transferring them to a plate!
I think these pickles would have been fantastic, but five teaspoons of salt was *way* too much. They are almost inedible due to the saltiness factor. I think two or three would have been plenty.
I will definitely try this recipe again, as the thinly sliced cucumbers are very crunchy and the fresh dill, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaf all seemed to be good additions.
Salt comments — I’m sorry this was too salty for many of you. I used a very heavy kosher salt (Morton) so I thought it was a pretty safe bet that others would find it at a good level, or less salty if using a lighter brand. I will add a note to warn future picklers.
These pickles are wonderful–everything you said they were. This is the first time I’ve ever made pickles, and I can’t believe it’s so easy. I can’t stop eating them, and my whole family loves them. Thank you for the recipe!
I just made these yesterday and we love them. Did not have dill so used garlic& bay leaf.
Good grief these are delicious! My family is obsessed. You’re the best, Deb.
Love a good reason to get out the mandoline. I only had a regular cuke lying around, so I tried it. They still had some nice crunch. Also, I may need to eat sandwiches for breakfast lunch and dinner, just because they’re so damned good with these pickles.
I made this today. With my one and only first cuke of the season (I planted late!).in addition to the one cuke I added 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 ounce of white vinegar, one clove of garlic (homegrown of course), and a very small pinch of dill seed. So. Freakin. Good! Thanks!
I can’t wait until I have an over abundance of cukes to make a big quart jar!
Oh and a note on pickled daikon. One of my Vietnamese student’s mom makes me the most incredible pickled daikon. I always get it at Christmas/my birthday/end of year gift because she knows I love it so much. It’s a mix of carrots and daikon in a sweetish pickle brine. It’s magical. Unfortunately he graduated 8th grade this year….. Maybe I can guilt/flatter them into keeping up my habit through email.
Pickling seriously makes everything better!
Just canned a batch of dill and bread and butter pickles. Each batch took the whole day with the canning process. I’m definitely trying this recipe and if my hubby likes it this will be the last year I “can” pickles. I have tried numerous dill pickle recipes and he’s not a fan of any I’ve made so far.
I made these last night but halved the recipe because I didn’t have a big enough jar.. it was fun making them and they came out great.. used less salt and just halved the vinegar plus a garlic clove.. while I was at it I made your bread & butter pickle recipe using summer squash.. they are soo good.. and also very pretty in their jar.. do you know why they’re called bread and butter pickles anyway?
I’m one of the ones with the salt issue. I added more cucumbers and it is better. I think I didn’t have enough cukes in the jar, maybe as a result of not cutting them thin enough.
I used this recipe with some banana peppers last night, mmmmmm good!
It’s late, but I’m gonna make these now. Thanks!
Another awesome recipe, thanks. I love the simplicity.
I have some very large cucumbers from my mother-in-law’s garden. I took a 1L container and just filled it to the brim (4 cucumbers) and added the salt, vinegar, and dill. The vinegar level looked soooooo low that I added some, for a total of .75c. So my question- your recommended amount of pickles, does that fill your 1L jar completely? Is that the goal, to fill the jar with cucumbers and then add your other ingredients?
As a Lower East Side girl, it seemed blasphemous and like a waste of time to make pickles. After all, my own children weathered teething thanks to the pickle guys, and perhaps that is where the developed their keen taste for pickles. Still, this year I am growing kirby cukes on my little balcony, so here I go. Your recipe has proven perfect for us. These certainly will be a summer treat, and I know won’t last, so we’ll return to the corner for pickles come the fall. I also made spears, which came out great too, and I turned the jars upside down in the fridge for part of the pickling period.
Thanks for the salt update, although I didn’t see it until after I made them (I had printed the recipe a week ago)! I used 5t of Morton’s and found them very salty as well. I ended up draining and adding vinegar again. They are still tasty and will try the 3t next time… Like someone else mentioned, maybe they were cut too thick, I didn’t have a mandoline. Thanks for such an easy recipe!!!
Long time recipe-lurker, first-time commenter here. Just made my second batch of these, and I am so pleased to see that I wasn’t the only one who found the 5t of salt a tad too much. (I’m using Morton’s pickling salt.) At first I thought I measured wrong – I’m splitting the recipe into pint jars since it’s all I have handy, and I’m terrible when it comes to recipe math. This batch has the new amount of 3t, and we’ll see how they come out. I also used actual Kirbys this time; last batch was the standard long cuke and OH, the seeds. I had a pile of big, hard seeds when I was done slicing. Yikes. Also, I tried one jar with and one without garlic and found I liked the garlic best. We always have it in the house, so it’s an easy add. In any case, I have a feeling this new batch will be perfect. Thanks!
Update! The second batch is FANTASTIC. Tangy, pickle-y, dill-y and crunchy. I’m in love.
Ahhhh, thank you for the recipe adjustment on salt – the second batch is perfection. And yes, our household is absolutely hooked on these dills. I find myself stealing a slice or two nearly everytime I walk in the ktichen! I also used the Gourmet Garden dill (in a refrigerated tube), and love the addition of a little “fresh” dill with some seed. Thank you!!
These were wonderful! Time to make more!
(And yes, a bit salty – I used Morton’s, too. A little extra water was enough dilution for us.)
I only had Ball jars in 3 cup size (only 1 cup short, right?), used 3 tsp Diamond kosher salt, 1/2 cup white vinegar (should have used less, I know now).
They came out much too salty, too vinegary so I’ve thrown in some sugar.
Excellent! Have canned pickles, beans, nectarines etc….This is THE easiest and has gotten a thumbs up from our whole extended family!
These are so good I featured them, with proper credit to you and link to your site, on the blog I write for local CSA subscribers. I also used the same technique, but eliminated the dill and added a few tbsp of agave syrup, to make equally delicious pickled radishes. As far as saltiness goes, I used kosher salt and the “saltiness” level was perfect – wonder if folks who thought they were too salty are using table salt, which is MUCh saltier than kosher salt?
I use Persian cucumbers and Ball pickling spice blend or bread & butter spice blend. Even easier than using fresh herbs with no loss of flavor. Also, I recommend that you use the cross-cut blade on the mandolin.
Thank you so much for adding the freezer bag suggestion! I continue to love your site for the helpful suggestions for alternatives (no cucumbers? try zucchini! no glass jars? try plastic or a bag!). Off to pickle the cucumbers that arrived from my friend’s garden today!
Echoing the request for some sort of size? weight? approximation. I just made these and stuck them in the fridge, but curious how they’ll come out — I had filled the liter jar after slicing up only 5 of the cucumbers, so I suspect that the one size of Kirby pickle I get out here in Ridgewood might be extra, extra large (if they weren’t just mislabeled). They were much, much bigger than, say, any Persian cucumbers I’ve seen.
Have made these three times since recipe came out, my 18yo nephew, 16yo niece, and husband can’t get enough of them! I’ve used two onions as they love them as much as the cukes…I just put two less cukes in…delish!
I remember my Grandmom making these pickles and always had them in the fridge – good memories.
I made this last night, and there is still not enough liquid to cover about 1/3 of the cucumbers. Should I add more vinegar or water to the jar?
this is an alarmingly small amount of liquid. can’t wait to taste how they turn out. i have the pickling cucumbers and the fresh dill in my garden, so i just prepared them, and will sample them tomorrow. thanks for such a simple pickle recipe.
I tried this recipe and it was a bit salty, after I reduced the salt to two teaspoons. I reviewed some other recipes and put 1 cup of water in a pan and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Boiled the mixture and when cooled, added it to the brine. I love your other recipes. This one just didn’t work for me.
I made these yesterday – my first ever attempt at pickles and they turned out great – loved them. There is very little liquid in the jar though, not enough to cover the top half of the jar…is that a problem? Maybe they wont keep as long?
Shannon — Should be just fine (they’ll collapse more after another day). You can shake them around from time to time to make sure the same ones don’t stay out of the brine — though they’ll remain pickled, even if you don’t.
Can’t stop making them! I’m addicted!
BTW: I always use dry dill…..it’s great!
I made refrigerator pickles but failed to but them in the fridge until 6 days post pickling. Think they are still ok?
Katie — I’m not positive that I understood, but if you’re asking if the pickles were good after 6 days, definitely. At least a week.
I am about to make my third batch of these for company tomorrow night. They are delicious!
yuuuuuuum! made them only a few hours ago and they are already divine. I subbed 2 tsp dried dill for fresh because that’s what I had on hand and used 2 1/2 regular slicing cukes from today’s CSA share.
Be careful with the mandolines!!! Even though I know better, I still cut my thumb and spent the last two hours in emergency….All fine now. Came home and finished the pickles because I really want them as they just don’t seem to exist in london. need a taste of home!
They were worth cutting my thumb! Yum!
Just wow. I modified this for the smaller jars I had on hand…this recipe has created monsters in my house. BEST pickles ever! I used a combination of the long English cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. Just wow. So so so good.
These were SO good. I made them with the ziplock bag and ate about half of them when I went to “taste.” NOM NOM NOM NOM thank you!
Ty myvfamily now loves our versions to!
Made them again and they are…..AMAZING
Absolutely a favorite and something we will make over and over again.
O M G the pickles I have been dreaming of…I have to admit, I was so busy that two bunches of dill rotted in the fridge and ended up stoking the compost pile before I could get to making these, but with cukes coming out of my ears now, I bought my THIRD bunch of dill and got down to business yesterday. Deb, you were right when you said they wouldn’t last several weeks…I started to eat them within 3 hours and could not keep myself away from the jar. I didn’t even have nice Kirbys and the pickles came out just fine. I made my second jar last night and will continue to stock up in the fridge. Thank you SOOOOO much for this recipe. And the salt content as you originally specified was just fine for my taste as well.
This will be my 2nd batch. I start mine out in a gallon freezer bag, then transfer them to quart jars. And, because I am constitutionally unable to leave well enough alone, I sliced up a jalapeño from the garden and threw that in too, along with a touch of sugar and some pickling spice. We like things spicy, so we’ll see how these turn out. The last batch sure went fast! This was a hit!
Thank you for this recipe!! We love your blog and decided to try these yesterday and they turned out great!! My 4 year old son loves them and proclaimed that they were “more gooder then the ones at the store!” Thanks!!
We have made pickles for many years and so time consuming. I ran across your recipe for these fantastic pickles so we tried today. We usually make pickles during our cucumber season and eat them later in the year. How long will these pickles last in the refrigerator. It is now September and question as to whether they will last until our Thanksgiving Feast. Thank you .
I had never heard of fridge pickles before, but since someone gave me a couple of pickling cucumbers (I had to look up Kirby cucumbers, didn’t know the knobbly little cucumbers had a special name) from her garden I made them for our barbecue yesterday evening. So good! My husband had two questions: why had I never made them before, and when would I be making them again… Thank you once again for a brilliant recipe!
Went on a search today to find a way to use the mountains of cukes I have been harvesting in my garden – my quest – to find a truly simple refrigerator pickle recipe without sugar – made these today and we LOVE them. I’m SOOO excited to find this awesome recipe. I used the 3t of salt and added a bit of garlic – can’t wait to try other add ins. I also want to try doing this with green beans. New to this blog but I will definitely be back. :D
PS – I wanted to Pin this but couldn’t get the Pin link to work. Any ideas? I’m kind of a Pinterest novice.
I tried this using small unripened honeydew melons (which I have an absurd abundance of in my garden) and they’re great! I seeded the melons, but left the peel/rind on. The melons haven’t sweetened up at all yet so they are very similar to fat cucumbers. Thanks for the inspiration!
Are the pickles still good after 3 weeks….or is that the limit!
Made these and served them at my daughter’s birthday party with a bagel spread. Someone suggested I quit my job and be a professional pickler. Added a wee bit of mint to mine. Thank you, once again for a fab dish.
I love pickles but I’m on a low-sodium diet so I’ve been trying to make my own. I wanted to see if these would work as salt-free pickles, so I just used the vinegar, dill, and a couple cloves of garlic. They’re good, but *very* strong and vinegary. Would you happen to have any advice on how to make these work without salt? Or is that simply not possible in your opinion? Thanks for your time!
Out of the several recipes on the internet, this was the simplest to do. I tried it and the results are fabulous. It is now a permanent, so to speak, fixture in the fridge. I even carry several coins along when I eat out and it gives mediocre sandwiches an immediate boost. I like salt and vinegar so this is perfect. I look back and cringe at the thought of the countless meals that could have been rescued by this. This should be taught in all schools under the tagline “Now everyone can cook”. I am deeply indebted. Two thumbs up.
Apparently “Buddist monks in training must eat every grain{of rice} on his plate, THEN pour tea in their rice bowls and wipe the surface of the bowl with takuwan pickles, and then drink up the tea. That way, you literally can eat every bit of what was in your bowl and wash the bowl at the same time.” That is exactly what I use these pickles for. For soft boiled eggs, some egg yolk sticks to the bowl and goes to waste as well as being difficult to wash{don’t have a dishwasher…I am the dishwasher}. A coin of pickle chased around the bowl ensures a clean bowl as well as reclaiming all egg yolk. The same goes for gravy containing fat or lard. More coins may be needed. Same end result. Useful when global cooling gives way to an ice age and every bit of food counts.
I’m way late to this post, but I’ve made tons of refrigerator pickles and these are hands-down the best ever. THere is no reason to ever go to any more trouble. Thanks!
I followed the recipe but cut the kirbys into spears instead of chips. Worked great! I added a teaspoon of black peppercorns, two fresh garlic cloves (peeled), and a few slices of yellow onion. The pickles are outstanding — best homemade pickles I’ve ever had, hands down.
Why did I wait nearly a whole year to try this?? Best and Easiest Pickles ever. As soon as my ONLY one Liter jar is empty of cucumber pickles, I’m going to try zucchini.
Thank you Deb!
I am 5 months pregnant and really craving salty/crunchy things. I was eating salt & vinegar potato chips but tried these as a healthier alternative. All I can say is WOW! I love them and eat them everyday on my sandwiches, on salads or just by themselves. My husband thinks that are a little too salty but I think they are just perfect. And so easy, what a great recipe. Thanks!
I too am using garden cucumbers that are a different variety. Any chance you might get back to us with the weight of cucumbers you used for a batch?
Thanks!!!!
Loren — Wow, I’m surprised I didn’t weigh them (because I obsessively weigh everything in recipes). Regardless, I’m fairly positive from other recipes that the market Kirbys I get are 4 ounces each.
These are wonderful! Used fresh garden cukes (don’t know what variety exactly and didn’t weigh or measure). Did cut down on the salt (I am very, very sensitive to salt!) and added just a bit of mustard seed, minced garlic, and fresh sliced onion. I couldn’t resist a taste when I shook them…I just don’t even know how to describe how delicious and crunchy and crisp and yummy these are! Poor husband…he’s out of town till tomorrow night and these will probably be gone by then :(
Commenter 129/130 here. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been making these all year long and have passed the love – I mean, recipe – on to many friends and coworkers. They’re also the perfect pregnant lady’s pickle. Tangy, salty, cool and crisp. This baby’s going to be a pickle hound when it grows up, based on my current rate of consumption. We even planted a cucumber in the garden this year just for this recipe.
So, thanks, from both of us! :D
Yessss, this is WOW! Salty and crunchy and vinegary to perfection! Thank you from boiling hot South Germany!
Can these be water bath sealed for long shelf life?
Vera — Shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Thank you. Do I have to make any modifications such as filling to the top with vinegar?
Vera — I am not enough of an expert on water bath canning to say this with absolute authority, but I think you’re going to want the pickles submerged for food safety. When making them by this recipe, sometimes the pickles are a little taller than the brine line, but they collapse within a couple hours so I haven’t worried about it. Maybe worth waiting to see how much liquid you’d need too?
Thank you. Just wasnt sure if I needed to fill jar with vinegar or still leave the same amount as this recipe calls for because it may leave too much air in the jar.
I can fairly often and do not recommend processing these pickles in a water bath. You are correct; the liquid level needs to be 1/2 in. or so from the top of the jars before processing to get them to seal. Just adding vinegar to compensate will throw off the taste. Also I love this recipe because the pickles stay so crisp. If you water-bath process them, they will lose their crunch.
Just made these. They were just perfect in every way. Thank you!
Kirby pickles were only $1/lb at the Greenmarket today. I’m so excited to make pickles!
Made these last night. My daughter loved them! I did think the vinegar quantity was too low at first, but after just a few minutes of vigorous shaking, I saw that I had more room in the jar for more cucumber. Once I added nearly another whole cuke, sliced very thin, and rather packed them in, the liquid level rose considerably, and they turned out perfectly!
My question is about the jar in the gorgeous pictures. That must be a double batch, in a 2 liter jar or maybe even larger, correct? Or maybe the diameter of my cucumbers is quite a bit larger than the ones you used? (My husband grew them from seed, and he has no idea where he got the seeds, or what kind they are.) I had to strategically place my slices in the jar to get them to spread out – there was no way I could fit many in my Mason quart jar if I just tossed them in there willy nilly. Either way, thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Maybe I missed it but what size jar are you using. I have the pint size jars already I guess i could divide in to two jars??? Right… I have a garden full of kirbys…
Is there anything to adjust on the process if I want to make spears?
Rachel — You may just find that you need more time to get them as pickled as you wish.
Wow, I can’t believe how tasty these were with so few, simple ingredients. LOVED them!! The following day, I experimented by adding more “claussen-style” ingredients (mustard seeds, peppercorns, allspice, etc) to another batch and it was also delicious. I’m totally using this as my pickle base recipe from now on. THANK YOU!
Love these! I just made them this weekend and they were perfect! I added a little red pepper flakes to add a little kick and I couldn’t stop eating them! Perfect summer snack :).
The recipe didn’t quite work for me. It mentions that the pickles will “wilt”, and that sort of thing happens, but this also means they aren’t as crunchy as they should be. Wilt does not equal crunch. Also, despite my best effort to measure vinegar, the product was way too vinegary. I salvaged the batch by adding water and sugar, but just barely. As an aside, adding sweet peppers and pearl onions works fine with this recipe.
Pam — Yikes, I think this was a liter jar, but it’s a little hazy. You can make it in a few smaller jars, if needed.
So happy to find this site…..already in favorites.
I made these and really liked them. I used to use my leftover pickle juice and add fresh cukes. I do use a bit less vinegar and also added minced garlic and dill and mustard seeds. Really good. I don’t mind the wilt at all….just love the taste. I make these in pint jars as there is only me!
I am currently eating these from a jar with a fork while drinking coffee. They are kind of addictive! I don’t know where you get liter-sized jars but I had quart jars and I used that–I could only fit 4-5 large cukes in but I used the full amount of vinegar/salt/dill. I also added a couple of cloves of garlic and some sliced up onion. Someone above me commented about them “wilting” and not being crunchy enough…but mine are super crunchy and fantastic. I already made 2 more jars and am contemplating what the results might be with the addition of a hot pepper. Thanks for a great, easy recipe!
Made this yesterday with some garden cukes. No fresh dill, used some dried. Threw in some coarse cut Celery Flakes (Penzey’s). Delicious. Will make again and again. Super crunchy even though one of the cukes was on the larger side. Yay! I love a new go to recipe.
I just tried your simple recipe with green tomatoes (now in the Greenmarket) instead of cucumbers and was delighted to find it works just as well with a different vegetable. I cut the tomatoes into eighths, used sprigs of fresh dill (instead of chopped) plus garlic (of course) and black peppercorns. By the way, through the summer, I’ve made the cucumber version many many times, keeping it always in the refrigerator for snacking. I even used the adorable Mexican sour cucumbers (cutting a slit into them for the juices to leak out), that made olive-sized pickles.
I wanted a simple recipe for sour pickles made in the fridge and found this and love it! I am on my second batch now, thanks for the great treat.
Deb, thank you. I am not exaggerating when I say this recipe has changed my life. As a Canadian living in New Zealand, I was horrified to learn they don’t really do dill pickles down here. They know gherkins, yes. But this is not the same. Now I can make my own dill pickles….in 5 minutes! This is absolutely the best.
Thank you! You have transformed my life. I was literally doing a happy dance in the kitchen tonight. My partner thought I was mad. I’ve had a hard time getting pickles that I like in Australia. These are just perfect.
I added the optional extras of smashed garlic, mustard seeds & a bay leaf. They taste wonderful. Thank you again.
I have often looked at your recipes, but I tend to steer away from bloggers recipes. I found this recipe and had everythingI needed. They are amazing!!!! I dare say they are much better than store bought. They were super easy. I did add two cloves of crushed garlic, used pickling salt, andill dried dill from my garden last year. They were a little too salty last night after I had made them-still good though, but today they are just perfect. I love that you don’t have to fuss over then at all!
Deb, your quick dill pickle recipe is one I rely on every summer since you posted it — I nearly always have a jar in the fridge. So when I was craving a good Greek salad bowl (just Greek salad, no lettuce, atop couscous, with toasty white beans if desired) for lunch but had no fresh cucumbers…or fresh dill, my eyes landed on the half-full jar of quick dill pickles and I had a lightbulb moment:
A generous scoop of your quick pickles can replace the cucumber, dill, and vinegar in Greek salad, and I must say, made it even more delicious than usual. I felt it was my duty to report this to you, and say THANK YOU!!!
This web site is entirely to long ..to much dialogue..to many comments..took forever to even find the recipe..what a joke
Revamp your info and site and maybe you might get more visitors
Seems a lot of people like it !
Smitten kitchen is awesome!One of the great parts about it is that you get great text and informative comments along with great recipes.
Fantastic recipe. I have made these many times and they always impress. Yesterday I made them with pickling cucumbers from Chicago’s Green City Market. My Instagram photo (greenjillo) of the pickles won me a ticket to their Chef BBQ. Thanks!
My garden in Pueblo, Colorado just produced enough cuke’s for me to make thes pickles I’ve had my eye on for awhile. Quick and simple, oh yes my dill was ready also and so I cut it for these dill pickles. Thanks so much for all your hard work and sharing so many yummy recipes and stories.
Anita
I have an old pickle jar from some store bought pickles, would it be safe to use for this recipe? I’d hate to let it go to waste!
Run it through the dishwasher or put it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. As long as the jar is glass and lid is corrosion free using the store bought pickle jar should be fine.
These are delicious and just as easy as I was hoping for. I used the 3mm setting on my Kyocera mandoline. The fresh dill is essential for such a simple recipe–I also added some cilantro flower buds. Thanks, Deb!
I’m amused by Priscilla’s comment above; it made me think of the line often associated with Yogi Berra: “Oh, that place? No one goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”
Next time I make these pickles I will use cider vinegar instead of white vinegar; they came out harsher than I find pleasant to eat solo. (I expect they’ll be fine partnered with something fatty, like cheese or mayo.)
Rats, I missed my chance to check the new “I made this” box.
I don’t have coarse salt on hand, can I substitute regular table salt? If so, how much?
I’d usually say start with half but it’s easier to start with 1/3 and bump it up if you need more.
I think it’s probably going to be hit-and-miss. Where I live, normal pickling salt is hard to find, but we do have a coarse salt we call “cooking salt.” However, it’s iodized just like table salt is; so, I’m unsure what the difference is besides the size of the salt crystal. At any rate, I used that at a 1:1 ratio and I don’t think it turned out too salty. But it’s always easier to add more than to take out what you already added! ;)
My grandmother made this and I make it very often. Slice the cucumbers thin and then salt them with kosher salt. After twenty minutes or so, rinse them off. Then add water and vinegar and sugar to taste. About 1 cup of water, tablespoon a of sugar and small amount of white sugar. Add chopped dill and chopped onion. Best made the day before. In our family it is called Swedish cucumber salad. Goes over big with company.
Enjoy, Jane
Mistake- add vinegar to taste. About 1-2 tablespoons, same for sugar. Should not taste overly sweet or vinegary. Great to take on picnics as you can make it the day before and not have to worry about spoilage.
My husband LOVES these pickles! He watches his sodium intake very carefully so I made these with only 1 tsp with salt and they still turn out AMAZING! When others eat them they don’t realize how significantly lower in sodium they are since they still taste all salty. Needless to say this recipe is awesome and our fridge is always stocked with these pickles!!
Just wondering…the liquid is still not covering the cucumbers even after about 4 hours. Is that ok?
I made these a few hours ago, and they are already fantastic! I had picked up some cucumbers at the greenmarket, but they were much larger than Kirbys. I used 3, and the same amounts of vinegar and salt. I still have some dry on top, so I might increase the liquid a bit just to make sure they stay covered. I wish I had peeled the cucumbers , at least in strips, the skin is pretty tough. I will be making these again!
I was so excited about this recipe and the abundance of cukes in my garden at the moment. Unfortunately, I thought they were too strong. I don’t see any additional liquid filling up the jar so just the bottom slices are in brine. I feel like I need to add some water. And it is not the salt that is overwhelming – it’s the vinegar. I’ll give it another try!
I made these with Armenian cukes from my garden. Used apple cider vinegar instead of white (all I had), added about 2 tsp of salt, some fresh dill, half a clove of garlic, and a squeeze of honey. They were a total hit after about 4 hours. I found them too strong after a few days.
This is a classic dish in Finland. We call these sorts of pickled cucumbers “hölskytyskurkut” or “shaking cucumbers”, for obvious reasons.
Three teaspoons of salt still seems too much salt. I used two regular cucumbers, sliced thinly, in a quart jar, and they were very, very salty. I drained some of the liquid and added water to dilute. Delicious.
May I ask what kind of salt you’re using? Just want to keep track of which kinds are too salty and which are fine.
Hi Deb,
Using kosher salt. For the next batch (yes they were that good once I rinsed some of the salt off) I used 1.5 teaspoons and they are fabulous.
These pickles are SO good! I have made them twice before and am about to start my third batch. They are super easy and my daughter and I LOVE the crunch and bright flavor. Thank you for this recipe!. This is quickly becoming a tradition in my kitchen.
Super dumb question, but is 1 qt close enough to 1 liter to use this recipe as is?
Found my own answer to quarts vs liters …
1 quart is .95 liters, so probably.
This is a great, quick way to make a fresh light dill.
I’m really pleased with the results using the suggested 3t salt, and 5 hours refrigerator time.
This is going into my recipe box!
Just made these. Awesome! They taste amazing. Kirby cukes and kosher salt, fresh dill and vinegar. Perfect. So glad I stumbled onto the page.
I made these a couple of days ago. I think they are great. I found them the best on the third when I ate the last of a small batch. I can’t get kirby cucumbers here, so I used hot house cucumbers unpeeled and sliced. Super recipe and very easy. Will definitely be making some more tomorrow.
I’ve made these several times now and we just love them. I eat them with most anything. I use Persian cucumbers from Trader Joes and Mortons kosher salt. Excellent.
I made these over the weekend. Just because I tend to eat my pickles with hotdogs, I tried these as spears. Unfortunately, even after 12 hours, the brine was “worrisomely low.” It had, perhaps, doubled, but the cucumbers were nowhere near submerged. I think the issue is that, because spears don’t give a horizontal surface for salt to get trapped on when shaking, the top part of the spears don’t really wilt and give off their moisture. I’ve eaten two–one last night around 2 hours and one this morning around 12 hours–and the part that is actually in the brine tastes pretty okay, but the part that is out of the brine still tastes quite like a cucumber. I’ll probably give the recipe another try with sandwich slices later this week.
I used “cutie cucumbers” because we’re just on the tail end of winter here and pickling cucumbers aren’t available yet. I also used just slightly over 3 teaspoons of kosher salt. Prepped at 6pm, edible by 7:30. The jar was given a tumble every half hour. These were lovely, but even as an ardent salter-of-foods, I found them just a teeny bit too salty. Not inedible at all, just a very prominent salt flavor. Next time, I would probably cut back to 2 tsp of kosher salt. That said, they were the perfect side dish for your cornmeal fried pork chops.
Question: I have 4 jars of pickles going and I am wondering if it is bad to shake them so the spices mix up?
No harm whatsoever, but they’re going to infuse in the liquid even if they’re settled.
Oh sweet jesus these are good. I have made full-on brine pickles and these are just as good. I might need to make a second batch later this week because I am already anticipating running out. Will also try with green beans.
Can I use dried dill weed?Looks amazing.
I haven’t tried it in pickles. Do you have dill seed? I have used this before and it works fairly well in getting the flavor dispersed.
I use this all the time and it works well! I put about a teaspoon in, sometimes 1 1/2 if you like it dill-y :D
Yum!I used 2 heaping teaspoons of salt and one of dried dill.So good.
Is there anyway to turn this recipe into fresh preserve?
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead?
I haven’t but I suppose you could. It’s going to be more mild, less pickle-y, and more sweet.
I made them using acv and they’re delicious!
Are these ever delicious. I don’t typically like pickles but had so many cucumbers to use I just decided to go for it. We cannot stop eating them and now I have to go buy more cucumbers! Thank you!
I made these this afternoon, and just 3hrs later they are already delicious! I had to use apple cider vinegar due to an allergy to white vinegar, which is why i cant eat store bought pickles. I found 3tsp of salt to be perfect and very reminiscent to how salty store bought pickles are. Thank you so much!
Should the brine eventually come up to the top of the cucumbers once the salt has done its thing? Mine…didn’t. I’m debating adding more salt and vinegar, but couldn’t tell from the pictures if your brine came up over the pickles.
It often doesn’t at first but after a couple hours in the fridge, the cucumbers collapse and it’s a non-issue. Did you find this?
Not really – it sat overnight and the brine was about halfway up the pickles. I’m wondering if I didn’t slice them thin enough (something to do with salt and surface area? I’m pretending to know what I’m talking about here.) I only used 3tsp of salt, so I’ll add another teaspoon or two and see what it does. Thanks!!
Same here–only halfway up. So is more salt the trick? I used 3 tsp. kosher salt, and I did slice the cucumbers very thinly.
Sorry to hear, mine always submerge. It could be the vessel? Or how much my husband picks out of the jar before they’re even done? Not very helpful, I know. The solution is to scale up the brine — you can easily make double. I used to make it with more but always felt I was throwing half away once they collapsed, which is why I call for less here.
I tried again in a different container, but still the same. Perhaps it’s the type of cucumbers (they look like pickling cucumbers, but weren’t labelled). Although I’m not sure it matters–even before increasing the brine, my family was going wild for them!
I LOVE this recipe but always have the same problem. I wonder if it’s because I just use regular cucumbers (from our CSA and our garden) instead of kirby. I just add more vinegar after everything settles for 24 hours (and stir with a fork/knife to make sure the slices are distributing well in the brine). They taste great!
Had a bunch of cukes ready from my garden all at once so I made a batch of these. With nine 6-7 inch cukes, I ended up splitting them into two 7-cup pyrex bowls and one 20-oz spaghetti jar (cleaned, of course). All of them got dill, 3-4 peppercorns, 2 cloves of garlic, and a bay leaf. One batch I left plain, one I put 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, and the last I did a tsp of mustard seeds and used white wine vinegar instead of regular. The small jar I used 1 tsp salt and around 1/3 cup vinegar, and the pyrex dishes got 1 1/2-2 tsp salt each and 1/2 cup vinegar. The white wine vinegar gave a mellower flavor than the regular, that went quite well with the hint of mustard. All of them are excellent and there may have been some snacking straight from the containers. I can’t wait until I have more cucumbers ready to experiment with more flavors!
I’m sorry I didn’t read through all of the comments so maybe you already know this and have tried at rejected it. I grew up with my mom making ‘fridge pickles just to use up the overabundance of cucumbers as we couldn’t can them fast enough. Her trick to getting the cucumbers crispy without making the brine too salty was the following. After thinly slicing the cucumbers make a layer on a cutting board (or I cheat and layer them right in a colander) and liberally sprinkle them with salt. Very liberally. Like way more salt than you would ever want to eat. Continue layering and salting the cucumbers until you have the batch, whatever size, completely salted. If you’re very concerned about getting salt on both sides of every slice, pre-salt the cutting board or colander. Set the board/colander in the sink and let them sit for at least 10 minutes but not more than about 15. Rinse thoroughly. Continue with the recipe as you’ve stated (although we use cider vinegar) but don’t add salt to the liquid. Instead, add water to reach the desired liquid level. After the pickles have had a chance to sit in the vinegar for a bit taste the liquid and add salt (and pepper) to taste.
This same technique is what I use to make my own kimchi & other Asian pickled cabbage recipes. Also works well for Hungarian cucumber salad, which (at least according to a recipe given me by a Hungarian friend) is basically a quick fridge pickle. :)
Thanks for sharing this recipe. A new family favorite. Can still taste cucumber through the brine. Delicious!
I add a bit of sliced garlic. Thanks for the recipe!
I have a question. I much prefer pickle spears to sliced pickles. will speared pickles work or do they have to be sliced very thin?
While it should work fine, I haven’t ever made it this way with spears.
Has anyone tried with spears?
I’ve made these with slices and they’re wonderful, but I, too, would love a go-to recipe for spears. I feel like spears, being thicker, may not collapse into the brine as well, so I wonder whether more vinegar would be needed? And since they’d be bigger and thicker, I can’t decide whether more salt (to penetrate) would be called for, or less (because of less surface area)?
I had zucchini, no kosher salt, and a smaller jar than suggested, so I had to fudge the amounts a little. Still delicious!!!
This has become a summer staple when Kirby cucumbers are available.
Easy, good and addicting. I make as stated with Kosher coarse salt and the full amount of dill+.
Can you make these pickles in plastic quart containers?
I don’t see why not.
Yay! I will attempt them! Thanks, Deb!
I did & it turned out fine.
I’ve made these twice now because I really want them to turn out. Both times the brine only makes it about half way up the jar. What is going wrong? Should I add water to cover the pickles?
No, it’s fine because the cucumbers will soon release their water and end up submerged.
Have you ever made this in a larger jar? (like a gallon?)
I haven’t but you definitely could.
Loved doing this with home-grown cucumbers. But… They came out too salty! If I drain some of the liquid and replace with plain water, will that help decrease the salty taste?
I would drain the brine and just add more vinegar, but no salt. Water might wash out some of the pickled flavor too, which would be sad.
Thanks, Deb!
I have made these several times now- this time with garlic. SO, I found I had a different salt- Ball pickling salt. I was absolutely paralyzed wondering which amount of salt I should use. I went with the Morton amount, thinking it would be saltier and more dense…. just when you think you have it all figured out. I will try them out in a few hours. Great recipe to have!
These are delicious!!! Thanks so much for the super easy recipe. We’ve got lots of extra cucumbers from our garden this year & now my family begs me to make more pickles. My kids check the garden everyday to see if there are more cucumbers so they can pick them & make these pickles.
Wish I had found this recipe years ago! Already made this twice, and loving it. Had some garlic scrapes when I made the first batch, so I chopped one into 3-in pieces and added. Nice mild garlic hit, not overwhelming. Used a wide-mouth 1-qt Ball jar and guesstimated the number of Kirby cukes to use, but actually followed the recipe (for a change 😄). So easy, so delish. My daughter left with the remains of the first batch, so quickly made another.
Can I use this same recipe for pickling green tomatoes? I know I will have some at the end of the season. Also, what about cauliflower? Can I pickle that, too, with this recipe? Thanks muchos.
For most quick-pickling, I use a mixture of water-vinegar-salt-sugar. Here I skip the water because there’s so much liquid in the cucumbers, it’s not necessary. You might use a mixture like I use here instead (minus the mustard seeds).
I grow cukes every summer and have always used calcium chloride and the 3-day method including the water bath canner for long shelf life. I never thought I had enough room in the garage fridge for fresh pickles. What a great recipe you posted. Yes, the initial brine level was SO worrisome I doubled it which was too salty, so I decanted off most of it the next day into another jar, filled the 1st jar back up with just water and vinegar to let some of the salt osmose back out of the cukes. Then I filled the 2nd jar with more sliced cucumbers, dill and garlic. Really good, worth making space for them in the garage fridge between all the apples, pears, beets and cabbages storing up for winter.
Wow, these look and sound great. I love dill pickles! I’ve made fermented ones before, but I’ve never tried refrigerator pickles before. I’ll definitely need to try this!
This is a great recipe! Your method of writing is incredibly inviting and makes me want to read more and more. Thank you for sharing your experience living in NYC and what it takes to make a good pickle. Excited to try this at home!
This sounds great! Any ideas for pickling celery? Do you think this recipe would still work? I’m up to my ears in celery!!!
I absolutely love this recipe. My cousin shared it 3 years ago and I foolishly did not bookmark it. I had to search for it, but I’m so happy that I found it again! Can’t wait to make these again!
Hello I just want my money and I’m then I’m going home I and I’ll get it the rest I’ll have to
I’m obsessed with these! I’ve made them every summer for the last 3 summer’s and my boyfriend gets grumpy if I make them when he’s not around!
Cucumber season has begun in my garden – so there are pickles in the fridge! Yay! These have been a favorite here for several years :)
I tried this for the first time a few days ago then made another jar a few minutes ago. I have a small patio garden and grow among other things Japanese cucumbers. They are about the size of a baseball bat if I let them grow to full size! A medium sized one fills a quart jar when thinly sliced. We love this recipe! The thin pickles taste just like we like them- just the right saltiness and tang. The first time I made them exactly as shown in the recipe. We liked them so much that the only thing I did differently was to add two (home-grown) garlic cloves to this batch. Thanks for posting this recipe
I just want to say that the past 3 years, I always use this recipe. It is perfect and my kids love it. It is quick, easy, tasty and keeps the pickles nice and country. Thank you for sharing!
mmmmmmm Those pictures are so good I nearly took a bite off of my screen. This recipe is so easy and super delicious!
Thanks :-)
Absolutely amazing! Super easy to make and so yummy!
Do you think this technique would work with zucchini as well?
So easy that I made them this morning *during* lunch prep for my daughter’s day at her summer program. So delicious that my teenage children cannot keep their hands out of the jar (though at least they are helping shake the jar, too).
I make a similar “vinegar cucumber,” my grandma’s non-recipe, that barely even goes in the fridge – those are strong, and we like them, but I think this is pleasantly milder due to the salt being left in rather than rinsed off. Thank you!
I made this recipe a few weeks ago for a dill pickle competition at work. The only change was adding some garlic and coriander. And I won! This recipe is simple and delicious.
I made this and after letting brine all day in fridge, put in nice clean jars to share with family and friends as a sampler and reference to your recipe(s). I added a little bit of already prepared jarred chopped garlic (store bought kind)and some black pepper to tweak it up a little bit. I grew up with my Mom serving us fresh cucumbers that had been floating in vinegar, onions, salt and pepper on occasional Sunday dinners and as sour and tangy as these seemed you couldn’t stay away from them. There were never any leftovers, no doubt!
I made these yesterday using 3 teaspoons of pickling salt. I still find them way too salty. Can I use even less salt?
Absolutely. It’s very hard to get salt levels right for everyone with teaspoon measurements. Try adding more brine ingredients minus salt to adjust it.
This is a great “foundation” recipe for pickles. I always add the garlic and some Thai peppers because I like the spice.
I’ve been making these for over a year now. The first time, I accidentally put 3 Tbsp vs 3 tsp – what a big oops. Overall, I’ve reduced the kosher salt to 2 tsp and it’s been great. I’ve even modified it using some no salt random mix seasoning which being somewhat food adventurous and wanting to use items from the pantry – still tasted pretty good.
Deb – a big thank-you for sharing your recipes, tips and tricks… and all the inspiration! I made the pickles as a gift to a friend – she was blown away at how simple and delicious they were.
The inspiration of making pickles lead me to pickling my own beets. Having pre-roasted beets that didn’t end up in a salad, I wondered what I could do before they went bad. So, I used the same concept. I sliced the beets put them in a jar with sticks of cinnamon, whole cloves, sugar, pinch of salt and vinegar. They turned out fantastic such that pickled beets in the fridge is now a staple along with the pickles. :)
Hi there,
Would apple cider vinegar work in this recipe?
Where can I get these jars?
I love these; make them when the cukes are producing like mad in the greenhouse. I like to put some sweet onion slices in too. Also great just to take to potlucks and picnics.
May I ask (Should I ask?) Would this work with ramps??
Been trying different recipes, trying to keep the crunchiness in the pickles. Does this recipe keep the pickles crunchy?
Thank you
It’s going to keep them crunchier than a hot brine, but they’re sliced, so they won’t be as crunchy as raw, of course.
Hello! About how many lbs/oz/g would you guess 8-10 Kirby cucumbers are? I’ll be making this with my local cucumbers (in Senegal) and have no idea how they compare. Thanks for the help. I’ve used this recipe loosely before and been pleased, just like the idea of more precision.
I’d say about 4 ounces each, but they range a lot. It doesn’t matter, though. What matters is keeping the balance of salt to sugar to vinegar and water, even if you have to scale it up.
I’ve made these many times and I always have to figure out how many long slicing cucumbers to use- from what I figured out it was 3- having the weight would be super good on the recipe, or the approximate cups or something for the sliced cukes….
Love this recipe and the bread and butter refrigerator pickles as well!
Also, I believe Ball salt is the same sort as Morton pickling salt, not the ultra light Diamond kind. If anyone knows if this is not true, please reply! :)
I’ve made these many times, and love them! I just started a batch, and added a tiny, tiny pinch of Berbere spice. Hopefully, I’ll get some heat, but not a nuclear blast.
Delicious! I love that these were not sweet and had the flavor of dill. Most quickle recipes I have found make bread and butter tasting pickles and these are delicious. I used 2 teaspoons of sea salt, some pickling spice, dry and fresh dill in my recipe with Japanese cucumbers.
I love these and have made them for so many people who also love them (my boyfriend says these are the best pickles he’s ever had in his life). I have one friend who is allergic to pepper and I wonder if you have advice on what a good alternative would be for that ingredient? Thank you kindly!
Have you tried the recipe with other types of vinegar? Curious if I can use up what I ha e at home!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I tried to cook and it turned out really tasty! Now in my garden, there are a lot of fresh cucumbers! The time for pickles has begun! I want to share my favorite recipe: https://hoohla.cooking/dill-pickle-recipe
I really hope you enjoy it.
Now I am your regular reader.
I have seen Kirby cucumbers EVERYwhere (ok, the 1 store a week I go to) but, alas, today it wasn’t meant to be. Still, I used the one I had left and the supplemented with those longer, waxier cucs, thinking I had nothing to lose – but wow! I just tasted one and deeelicous! Thanks for the great post. I was getting tired of the pickled onions I made a few weeks ago and look forward to sassing up our lunches and salads for the coming weeks.
Deb! Super excited about this and just put my first batch into the refrigerator. Do you think this would work with carrots too? Thanks for being you and all you do. Smitten Kitchen is wonderful all the time, but especially during this Pandemic.
Yes, but there’s also a pickled carrot stick recipe on the site.
I made 2 smaller jars of these pickles – they were the BEST!!
I gave one jar to my brother – he is usually super-critical – he loved them and made his own using dill, peppercorns and coriander seed lol
I used fresh dill and the baby cukes – easy!
The pickles are all gone lol
Going to make another jar with an english seedless cuke – store was out of the baby cukes – this time with fresh dill and a red pepper flakes or maybe a dried chile de arbol – so many choices! Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe! I grew up eating these and wanted to make some so I googled the recipe and thought I was going crazy when I saw how complicated the recipes were. Mine are sitting in the fridge now :)
Can I use dried dill weed?
There are no Kirby cucumbers in my area. I have tried to find seeds to plant. Any advice how I could get some Kirby seeds?
My husband hates pickles. Hates them. So much so that he asked me the day after we were married to never put pickles on his sandwich / hamburger ever again. I love them so I made them for myself. Bad idea. For the first time in 15 years of married life, my husband put pickles on his sandwich. That is how delicious and simple these are! Now I have to go hunt down more Kirbys!
The best and easiest pickles.
I made these yesterday and used Japanese cucumbers which grow in my yard. They are about twice as long as Kirby so I used 4. I also used Morton’s kosher salt and added 1 clove of garlic lightly crushed. They are absolutely delicious but we’re a bit salty for my taste and a bit too acidic. Do you think I can dilute the batch with a bit of water? I tried adding more cucumbers but that didn’t help much. Next batch I’m making with 2 tsp salt and maybe only half the vinegar since I can always add more.
I love this recipe. I’ve made it several times and it’s so nice, with such little effort, to have ‘summer in a jar’ in my refrigerator. I really feel like I’ve accomplished something, again with just about no effort. I’ll admit it is alarming at first how little liquid there is in the jar but let the salt do its work. You can always add a bit more salt and vinegar and even water, but do wait several hours before messing with the proportions. If you really mash down the cucumber slices (after a few hours!) with a spoon, you should be able to get everything submerged in the liquid thrown off by the cucumber slices from the salt.
Thank you so much
They became our favorite.
Shana Tova
so i’ve been totally resistant to fridge pickles FOREVER bc i thought i wouldn’t like them. i grew up on ny sours we picked from a barrel at the grocery store. those were the days! but i can’t get them where i live now & i’ve been too scared to try fermenting my own. WELL these were amazing and delicious! they’re not ny sours, but they’re bright & crunchy & pickles! ❤️❤️❤️
i used english cucumbers bc it’s what i had. i used the slicing blade on my FP bc i wanted them crunchy as possible so i kept them thicker than my mandoline. i used five tablespoons of diamond kosher salt and some fresh dill and i’m pretty sure i’ll be making these every week for the rest of my life.
the garlicky pickled peppers are in the fridge and i can’t wait to try them tomorrow!
Deb, is it possible that’s a two liter jar you’re using, not a one liter jar? I’ve made this recipe numerous times and my jars are one quart, not one liter, but I fill two of them all the way to the top with sliced cucumbers. I just split the salt and vinegar in half and add half to each jar. They turn out great every time, but I wonder if that’s why so many people complain about these being too salty/too strong. The full amount of salt and vinegar in just one of my jars would be pretty terrible, I think. For what it’s worth I always buy two pounds of kirby or salad cucumbers (I never count how many that is) which I then split between the two one quart jars.
I will check when I make these next — very soon! — but I always assumed it was salt brands coming in at different weights per spoonful.
These are perfect. Easy, relatively quick, and flavorful, with just the right balance of sour and salty. Thank you for the detailed and reassuring instructions with the recipe!
Next time you make this, would be you please weigh your cucumbers and include this in the recipe?
Kirby cucumbers are often 3 to 4 ounces each, so it would be 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, although they range a lot in size at my local market.
This looks great. I’ve never made pickles, and I’m not sure how big Kirby’s normally are. I got some picking cucumbers at a farmer’s market and there are some very small ones – about 2-3″ long and maybe 1″ wide. Is that what you’d consider small, or are these extra small? It would help to know the approximate weight.
This is why everyone would really, really like Deb to weigh her cucumbers next time she makes these. She knows what looks right to her, and the weight of it would be super helpful for everyone else. I’ve made this recipe a few times, but it always feels pretty random as to whether it’s going to work out without needing some adjustment to brine quantities.
For everyone wondering about weight: I have made this recipe countless times and I always use two pounds of small cucumbers (either kirby or salad cucumbers, depending on what I can find). My largest jars are one quart, so I split the recipe across two jars (half the cucumbers, half the salt, and half the vinegar in each jar). I use Morton’s pickling salt in the amount the recipe calls for (3 tsp total). The liquid level is not only worrisomely low, but completely ridiculously low. However, they always turn out perfectly by the next day. I do turn them often at the beginning but I’m not sure it’s necessary. I pretty much never remember to buy dill but they’re fantastic with just the salt and vinegar!
These are the best refrigerator pickles! We usually get a ton of cucumbers in our CSA and it is hard for me to use them all before they go bad because I am the only one in the house that likes them. I made these pickles and now I’m hoping the cucumbers keep coming because a jar only lasted a little over a week :) I used dried dill, added garlic and used some pickling spice as suggested. Thank you for another great recipe! I
These EASY pickles are fantastic. I couldn’t believe how easy and how delicious they are. Thank you for the recipe,
Question – these lasted just a couple of days in my house – delicious! My question is do I dump the liquid and start over or can I just slice up some new cucumber to put in the vinegar mixture that my (already eaten) pickles/cucumbers were in? Thank you!
Good question! I tried re-using my brine, and it was not successful. I think maybe the cucumbers exuded so much liquid, the brine was diluted so much that I didn’t get that same zing. Next time I will make fresh batch of brine.
Definitely start over. The original brine will be watered down with the moisture from the first batch of cucumbers.
Why did you say “Pickles Electrolytes” in today’s email? I need to know!
I mentioned it in the intro note: “After reading that eating pickles, something he hardly needs encouragement to do, helps restore electrolyte levels more quickly after a run, we’ve also been doubling down on these.”
I had a pickle craving… I made these with one long English cucumber and white wine vinegar, sel gris de Guerande, and 1 tsp each fennel seeds and cumin seeds because I’m at the cottage and that’s all we have… after 5 hours they are delicious! Don’t wait! If you have a cucumber please make these. I’ve made them with Lebanese cucumbers in past also and it was a great success.
Deb,
1) I love your blog!
2) Have you made the fridge dill pickles with red onion slices added?
A fan
No, but I’m sure it would be delicious. Maybe white onions so the pickles don’t get a murky color?
I just love your website, videos and recipes! There are so many delicious dishes to choose from and I often find inspiration in the smitten kitchen digest. Thank you!
Has anyone used standard slicing cukes? We have a ton coming in from the garden and this recipe sounds great.
I have not, but I think it would be well worth a try. With kirby cucumbers I always have to add water – slicers will likely have a higher moisture content and should work well with this method, especially if you’ll be eating them within a few days.
Regular slicing cucumbers work great. I have three quarts in the frig right now.
Is it possible to make spears with this recipe? Or will it not pickle enough? Thank you!
Eric I don’t think spears would work at all. This recipe counts on cucumbers with a high moisture content and thin slices so there’s lots of surface area for the salt to work on. Even so I always end up having to add water. I do like this recipe and make it at least once every summer. For spears, this is my go-to recipe: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/quick-and-easy-dill-pickles.html#tabrecipe . You could certainly skip the spices and keep it simple with just the fresh dill. I use a large plastic deli container. It’s good if you can pack the cucumbers in tightly and use enough brine to cover, right from the get go. TIP – I like to pack the cucumbers into the container, add enough water to cover, then pour the water out into a measuring cup so I know exactly how much brine I need for the pickle.
I’ve practically made myself sick to my stomach shoving these into my mouth for every ‘snack’ aka anytime I open the fridge ever since I made them a few days ago! I’m trying a batch now with some spare Serrano chiles to see how I can kick it up. These are *chefs kiss*.
Sadly, did not love this recipe! My pickles never formed a slushy brine like you described. Still sitting with slightly more liquid in the bottom than what I initially added.
So if I am growing pickles, can I continuously add to the mix? Or is it smarter to start over? I get one or two small ones a day. Thank you!
Hey, I scrolled through the comments but did not see an answer to this one: any way I can get a general weight for the amount of cukes anyone uses for this recipe? I have so may different sizes that I plan to cut up, it’s hard to tell where I might land in terms of ratios. Many thanks for info! And thanks, Deb, for ALL you do!
I do wish that one of these years Deb would weigh the amount of cucumbers she’s eyeballing for the recipe and let the rest of us know what the weight is.
She says in a response above that it’s about 1.5-2 lbs. Have fun! :)
I would love there to be an approximate measure of the sliced cukes. The large and small thing doesn’t make sense to me!
As a big fan of dill pickles the idea of making them myself blew my mind! Deb said it was easy so I tried it with some farmer’s market cukes and an Ikea jar and voila! It is as easy as the recipe says! I did exactly as she wrote!! These are the only pickles I’ll eat now, on their own, in a sandwich, anything goes.
I used 6 Persian cucumbers and the recipe worked well except I found 3 teaspoons of salt too salty. I will try rinsing them. Is a certain amount of salt necessary to keep them from going bad or could I try a lesser amount the next time?
I have these in my fridge all summer! I like to use seasoned rice vinegar for a change too!
This recipe was just on IG and I saw it the same day I got a large bag of pickling cucumbers in a produce box. Fate? Perhaps. I made them and they are great. I’m kinda sorry I shared so many of the cucumbers with friends. But sharing is good too. So easy and so flavorful.
Thanks Deb!
I want to report that this recipe makes DELICIOUS zucchini pickles! I just subbed zucchini in for cucumbers, and the result was fantastic. Thanks for another winning recipe, Deb!
Made this today, with a few dill seed heads & cucumbers from the garden. I had to round out the quantity in one jar with a few green beans from our shaggy bean trellis. I also added a third vegetable: garlic. :D
Like the R Cash potato salad, this easy peasy pickle recipe makes my family so happy! I buy baby cucumbers just to prepare this recipe. What a winner!