Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles
My dad's infamous quick and easy refrigerator pickles! Thinly sliced cucumbers packed with jalapeno, dill and a bold brine. Makes 7 pint jars and easily doubled (and tripled)
Ingredients
- 7 large cucumbers, sliced
- 7 sprigs fresh dill
- 7 jalapeno peppers, halved
- 21 garlic cloves
- 14 fresh dill sprigs
- 14 teaspoons whole peppercorns
- 14 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups distilled white vinegar
- 12 teaspoons pickling salt
Instructions
Prep the Cucumbers
- Wash and slice the cucumbers. I do mine about 1/4 inch thick as thin, even slices give the best texture and absorb the brine more efficevelty, but you can make them as large as you want. You want enough cucumbers to pack the jars, so you may need more/less cucumbers to fill depenidng on size. As you aren't water bath canning these refigerator pickles, it's OK to add more/less cucumbers.
Prep the Jalapenos and Garlic:
- Halve 7 large jalapenos. If you want spicier pickles, leave the seeds in. If you want more mild pickles, remove the seeds. Peel 21 garlic cloves, but leave them whole.
Make the Brine
- Combine the water, vinegar and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to fully dissolve the salt. Remove from heat.
Pack the Jars
- Into each clean pint jar, add 2 sprigs of fresh dill, 3 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons peppercorns, 2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Then, add in the cucumbers and jalapeno half tightly, taking care not to crush them. Caref
- Carefully ladle of pour the hot brine into each packed jar, filling all the way to the top. Tap the jars gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. You can add more brine if needed to reach the rim. The amount here should be enough, but if you need more, then you'll just want a 2:1 water to vinegar ratio with 4 teaspoons of salt per 3 cups of liquid.
Seal and Cool
- Seal the jars with lids and let them cool to room temperature on the counter.
Refigerate
- Once fully cooled, move all jars to the refigerator. Note that these are NOT shelf-stable and must stay cold in the fridge. They'll be ready to eat in 24 to 48 hours and will keep for 4 to 6 weeks. (see notes)
Notes
These pickles are best within the first 2-3 weeks for flavor and texture, but still good up to 4-6 weeks. They are technically safe up to 2-3 months, but the pickles will become softer as they age and the flavor gets sharper and more acidic.
If the pickles are cloudy or have a slimy brine, off smell or noticeably mushy texture or if the seal is comprimised, then discard that jar!
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25jar of pickles in brineCalories: 31kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 670mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg