Refrigerator Dill Pickles

If you're the type of person who always likes to have a jar of pickles on hand, you're going to absolutely love this top-rated recipe. These refrigerator pickles are a breeze to make with simple ingredients — they'll quickly become a staple in your kitchen.

Refrigerator Dill Pickle Ingredients

This simple refrigerator pickle brine is made with water, vinegar, sugar, sea salt, garlic cloves, and fresh dill. You can adjust the ratios and add other ingredients (such as coriander seeds, peppercorns, or bay leaves) to suit your taste.

To cut cucumber spears, simply cut the cuke in half lengthwise and then cut the halves into quarters. If you're happy with the spear size, stop there. If you'd like them smaller, cut the spears in half lengthwise again.

Of course, this refrigerator dill pickle recipe would also work well with cucumber slices instead of spears.

How to Make Dill Pickles In the Refrigerator

You'll be shocked by how easy it is to make refrigerator dill pickles at home. You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

Bring the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool completely. Combine the remaining ingredients in a lidded, refrigerator-safe container. Pour the vinegar mixture into the container, seal tightly, and refrigerate for at least three days before enjoying.

Ways to Use Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Recipe creator Tammy Gulgren suggests serving these refrigerator dill pickles with hot dogs or hamburgers, but they also make a fantastic snack right out of the jar. Looking for even more delicious inspiration? You could also use your homemade pickles in one of these fun, flavorful recipes:

· Chicago-Style Hot Dog
· Bacon-Wrapped Pickles
· Air Fryer Spicy Dill Pickle Fries

How Long Do Refrigerator Dill Pickles Last?

Refrigerator pickles don't last as long as their canned counterparts. Stored in a tightly sealed container in the fridge, they should stay good for about one month. But you'll likely finish them off long before they expire!

Nicole's Best Refrigerator Dill Pickle Tips

Culinary producer Nicole McLaughlin (a.k.a. Nicole McMom) has her own tried-and-true secret refrigerator pickle recipe — and she says this top-rated recipe is pretty darn close to perfection. Here are some of her favorite tips and tricks for perfect pickles every time:

· Opt for cucumbers that are small and bumpy instead of large and waxy. Look for cukes labeled "Kirby" or "pickling cucumber."
· Cut the cucumbers depending on how you like to enjoy your pickles. Since Nicole likes them for snacking, she keeps the rounds on the thicker side — they stay extra crunchy that way. You can also cut them slightly thinner or in spears.
· This is a great base recipe that can be kept simple or adapted to suit your taste preferences. Nicole adds peppercorns for a bit of bite, but some people like to toss in jalapenos for a spicier pickle.
· The longer the pickles sit in the brine the more flavorful they'll be. So, while it's perfectly fine to enjoy them the next day, Nicole suggests waiting two to three days for optimal flavor.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Wow, these pickles are so good and so easy to make," raves debbo67. "Key things to remember are to cool the vinegar mixture completely and make sure the cucumbers are very cold for extra crispiness."

"I've tried many refrigerator pickle recipes and this one has the best balance of vinegar, sweet, salty, and garlic," according to SueBee.

"These are the best pickles I've ever had — and extremely easy to make," bfunk215. "I doubled the recipe, and had to use fresh baby dill as it was the only thing I had. Also added a little celery seed and some peppercorns to the brine."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams