Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles Small Batch Recipe (2024)

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

This easy refrigerator dill pickles recipe can be made in a small batch. They are crisp and full of dill and garlic flavor.

We had some crazy weather here in Ohio this summer. It started raining in late May, stopped for two days, and then rained almost every day in June. We managed to plant our garden on one of the days it stopped raining.

Unfortunately, the rain flooded parts of our gardens. I was only able to get two cucumbers, and they didn't taste that great from all the water.

A friend got a great crop, so she gave me several large cucumbers. As much as we love fresh cucumbers, I knew I couldn't eat them before they went bad.

I normally make bread and butter pickles or dill pickles and can them, but I didn't really have enough to make it worth my while.

So I decided to make these easy refrigerator dill pickles small batch recipe. These don't taste exactly like canned dill pickles, but they are so delicious with their own unique flavor.

Each jar will last about two months in the fridge, so it's a great way to save cucumbers if you can't can them or don't have enough to can.

I love this easy refrigerator dill pickles recipe because you can make it in a small batch. You can make one pint jar or make several at a time.

This recipe is best with a sprig of fresh dill. Unfortunately, my herb garden didn't do well this year. My dill was coming along fantastically until we got all of the rain. Most of my plants drowned, and I couldn't save them.

If you don't grow dill or can't get fresh dill, you can use dried dill. I've used both. Fresh dill tastes better I think, but you can certainly use dried and get a good flavor.

You will need either pint jars or quart jars. I usually just use pints even if I'm making a few batches. I like the smaller jar.

I do recommend getting some plastic or metal reusable lids. These aren't for canning, but they make it so convenient for using your jars for non-canning purposes. Like these easy refrigerator dill pickles. I keep several reusable lids in a drawer in my kitchen to reuse jars.

This is a great recipe if you are impatient, too. Your easy refrigerator dill pickles will be ready to eat in just 24 hours. They get better as they sit in the pickling solution, but you can munch on them the next day.

Smaller cucumbers work best for this recipe and any pickle recipe. My friend gave me longer cucumbers, so that's what I had and used.

I just used a knife to cute my cucumbers. If you want even slices, use a mandolin slicer or even a crinkle cutter. If I were going to do a lot of these, the mandolin slicer is a lot faster.

If you'd rather make canned dill pickles for longer keeping, try my canned dill pickles recipe with grape leaves. You may also like my canned bread and butter pickles recipe.

For sweet pickles, try this refrigerator bread and butter pickle recipe.

This recipe makes one pint sized jar of easy refrigerator dill pickles. Simply double or triple the recipe to make more.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 4-4 1/2" long cucumbers
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh dill per jar or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic cut in half
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow whole mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoons blackpeppercorns

DIRECTIONS

STEP #1

Wash the cucumbers and cut into slices or spears. Stuff the cucumbers into the jars. Make sure the spears are short enough to fit inside the brine solution.

If you are using fresh dill, add that between the cucumbers.

STEP #2

Bring the vinegar, water, garlic, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, and peppercorns to a boil in a medium sized pan. Stir well until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

STEP #3

Let the pickling mixture cool to room temperature. I moved the mixture to my 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup once it had cooled a little to make pouring easier. You can put it in the fridge to cool sooner.

STEP #4

Place 2 garlic halves and several peppercorns in each jar. Pour the mixture over the jars, trying to distribute the mustard seeds and peppercorns evenly.

STEP #5

If the pickling solution doesn't fill the jars, add some water to fill.

STEP #6

Let sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours but 48 hours is better. These will last for about two months in the fridge.

Now you have easy refrigerator dill pickles without canning!

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