A simple old-fashioned recipe for easy homemade Refrigerator Pickles! My mom makes this recipe every year as a way to use up our surplus of fresh cucumbers from the garden. This recipe take only 15 minutes to make and yields sweet and tangy homemade pickles and onions!
The Easiest Refrigerator Pickles
How is everyone’s garden coming along this year?
As I mentioned, I’m garden-less over here in the new house so I’m relying on friends, family, and roadside produce stands to make my favorite summertime staples like homemade salsa, bruschetta, zucchini bread, and now these refrigerator pickles. Send me all of your produce!
Today’s recipe is one that I got from my mom (like so many favorites around here). She would make these refrigerator pickles every summer as a way to use up extra cucumbers from the garden, though we often requested it in the winter as well so I know that grocery store cucumbers will work just fine in a pinch.
Refrigerator pickles are quite different from classic dill pickles that you might be used to. Rather than savory, these are tangy and sweet, closer to a bread and butter pickle than a kosher dill.
How to Make Refrigerator Pickles
- Start by making your brine (see image above!). Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, celery seed, mustard seed, and turmeric in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil.
- Pour brine over thinly sliced pickles and onions. Stir so that all pickles and onions are completely coated with brine.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
How Long Do Refrigerator Pickles Last?
These refrigerator pickles will keep for up to several weeks in the refrigerator. I imagine that they can be canned and would last much longer that way, but having never canned anything in my life I can’t advise here. Make sure to store your pickles in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Tips for Making Refrigerator Pickles
- Slice your pickles and onions as thin as you possibly can! I like to get mine as close to paper thin as is possible; it helps them to absorb the flavor of the brine faster.
- If you hate onions, you can leave them out of this recipe, but they do add a little extra something in terms of flavor so I recommend including them!
- While I ultimately like to store my refrigerator pickles in mason jars, when I am making them I almost always first let the cucumbers/onions/brine sit overnight in a large bowl (rather than putting them directly into a mason jar). I’ve found that the bowl makes it possible to ensure that all of the cucumbers and onions are coated in the brine, while the mason jar sometimes leaves the top layer brine-less (and therefore flavorless!).
I’d also like to note that I don’t recommend using these refrigerator pickles for making my fried pickles. These are a sweet & tangy pickle, almost like bread and butter pickles, and I recommend sticking to dill pickles when frying.
Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like:
- Caprese Salad
- Corn Salad
- Texas Caviar
- Broccoli Salad
- Or find more of my favorite Summer Recipes here!
Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 3 cups thinly sliced¹ cucumbers this was about 2 cucumbers for me (300g)
- 1 cup thinly sliced white or yellow onion this was about 1 small onion for me (80g)
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar (355ml)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Place cucumber and onion slices in a medium-sized heat-proof bowl and set aside.
- Combine all remaining ingredients (vinegar, sugar, salt, celery seed, mustard seed, and ground turmeric) in a small saucepan and stir well.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
- Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers and onions, stir so that all cucumbers and onions are coated with brine.
- Allow to cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then cover and transfer to refrigerator.
- Allow to chill overnight (or at least for 4-6 hours, so the flavor can fully develop) before enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
Maureen Thompson
I have just made my first batch of bread and butter pickles, thanks to my sister in law, very easy to do. I will let you know the outcome.
I am now looking for other pickle recipes, I mean we bought 13 pounds of them
Sam
I think you are going to love these, Maureen! 🙂
Tanya
I made these, they were perfect! Thank you!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the pickles, Tanya! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Petra Bain
I love this recipe and make these before I can any other recipe. (So i can munch on these while canning my dill pickles.)
These are like chips. You can’t eat just one!
I love your site. My next project is my first attempt at baking bread using your recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and making such easy to follow videos. You inspire many. Bless you and your family. ♥️🙂
Petra
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for your kind words, Petra. I am so glad that you enjoyed the pickles and I hope that your bread turns out perfectly too. 🙂
Silke
hello from germany, i just put the pickles in the fridge, and they are already so yummy. can’t hardly wait for tomorrow. i have planed a quick trip to the netherlands in the morning, i might as well buy some more cucumbers there. thanks for another great recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Karen James
could you use the English Cucumbers with no seeds?
Sam
Hi Karen! I think that should be fine, just make sure they are sliced nice and thin. 🙂
Lisa
Can you reuse the brine?
Sam
I don’t see why not! 🙂
Connie
Yummy delicious!!
Easy to make.
Family loves them!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Connie! 🙂
Kay Pickering
ANOTHER winner Sam!!! I am from hot hot hot already Phoenix Arizona and these are soo good and refreshing I can not keep enough in fridge….I use the 3-pack english cucs from Costco and it is great. I love all your recipes Making carmel cake for my Grandaughter’s 14th. birthday. The video’s really are helpful keep it up!!! The BABY is adorable love, love, love, him!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Kay! This is one of my favorite summer snacks too, perfect on a hot day! Thanks so much for trying my recipe. I hope that you enjoy the caramel cake just as much and that your granddaughter has a wonderful birthday. Keep me posted on how it turns out. Happy Baking! 🙂
Noviceljm
Do you fill the jar with brine also? If so, do you need to fill the jar or can you use less brine? What if there is not enough brine to fill all the jars you have?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi! You can leave the pickles in the bowl or put them into a jar with our without brine. I typically fill the jar with the brine. If you do not have enough brine to fill the jar, not to worry, they will be fine. I hope that you enjoy them! 🙂
Pris
Could not be any easier!! Great pickles!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy you liked the pickles, Pris! 🙂
Gail
Thanks can’t wait to try
Sam
Hi Gail! I hope you love the pickles! 🙂
Nancy Perine
Hi there! I had so much fun cruising around your website/blog. Your recipe for Refrigerator Pickles caught my eye. It had been years since I’d made there and have even misplaced the recipe, so I was so glad to find yours. These were fun to make … and oh, soooo yummy! It’s neat that the recipe makes lots, too. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be back!
Sam
Thank you so much, Nancy! I am so glad you have enjoyed everything. 🙂
Debbie in California
Hello,
These pickles look delicious.
I hope no one laughs..but..is it O.K. to use regular old pickle jars from shop bought pickles that have been well washed or do I need special canning jars?
Obviously I am not an expert in the kitchen !
Thank you
Sam
Hi Debbie! You could certainly reuse those jars. I don’t know how well you could can them with those jars, but the pickles will be good for several weeks in the refrigerator without going through the canning process. 🙂
Jeff Stone
Why don’t you use self rising? Why add the extra ingredients?
Sam
Hi Jeff! This recipe uses no self rising flour (or self rising anything) so I’m not sure what you mean.
Cindy W
looks good but how would I make dill pickles??
Is it the same recipe but just adding dill seeds??
please help — I am a freak for dill pickles (and I will make the sweet ones for my hubby)
Sam
Hi Cindy! Unfortunately, I have not tried making a dill version so I wouldn’t be able to give good advice on making dill pickles. I’m sorry. 🙁
Cheri
Look online, there’s a great recipe for refrigerator dill pickles. Uses garlic, white vinegar and mustard seed, corriander and celery seed. Use fresh dill.
Cricket
Do you have to add celery seed and mustard seed? Is there a substitute if possible?
Sam
I’m sorry but I don’t really have any recommendations for substitutes, it would alter the flavor if you leave them out.