Refrigerator Pickles

When you harvest your first cucumber, you’ll be thrilled and cherish the results of your hard gardening work. Soon after, when the cucumbers are overflowing onto your kitchen counters, overwhelm might be the stronger emotion.

Plan ahead and have some recipes ready for enjoying and persevering your garden produce. These refrigerator pickles are quick and easy to make. The taste of homemade pickles far surpasses anything found in the grocery store—fresh, crisp, tangy, and delicious. 

And if you haven’t harvested your own cucumbers yet, take a weekend trip to the farmer’s market so you can enjoy these pickles! You’ll need about two pounds of cucumbers to create two quart jars of pickles. 

Refrigerator Pickles

• 1 1/4 c. white vinegar
• 3 tbsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 c. cold water
• About 2 lb. fresh cucumbers, cut into spears
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsp. Red pepper flakes
• 16 dill sprigs

To make brine, combine the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small pan over high heat. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in cold water.

Stuff cucumbers into two clean quart jars. Add garlic, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, and dill, dividing them evenly between the two jars. Pour brine over cucumbers. If necessary, add more cold water to jars until brine covers the cucumbers. Close jars and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.