If you’ve never made refrigerator pickles, this is the summer to try them out! This family recipe is easy, and the results are so delicious. These are sweet, crisp, and perfect every time!
It’s summer time, and that means that there is a lot of fresh produce available right now! Yay! This is a favorite summer recipe that I got from Darryl’s mom’s church cookbook. I look forward to making these refrigerator sweet pickles each year – they are so nice and crisp and sweet.
I love pickles, and I really love refrigerator pickles, because I don’t have any desire to can things. Maybe some day I will want to can vegetables and fruits, but I have enough going on these days. So refrigerator sweet pickles are where it’s at for us right now!
These sweet refrigerator pickles go really well with vegan sloppy joes or dairy free cheeseburger soup.
Ingredient Notes
- Cucumbers – You need to use pickling cucumbers for this recipe – the kind that are short, stubby, and have a bumpy skin. If you use regular cucumbers, the pickles will not be as crispy. Regular cucumbers are longer and have smooth skin. You want the pickling kind for best results!
- Vinegar – I used white vinegar, but you could also use apple cider vinegar if that’s your preference.
- Mustard Seed – If you’re allergic to mustard, feel free to leave this ingredient out! It really won’t have much of an impact on the flavor of these pickles.
Special Equipment
A large glass jar with a lid is helpful for making pickles, but you can make them in any large container. A big tupperware bowl would work just fine, or you can even make do with several smaller jars.
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Storage
These last quite awhile in the fridge. They should stay fresh for up to 3 weeks. (If you take that long to eat them, that is!) These are so good on turkey burgers or with a vegan grilled cheese!
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Recipe
Refrigerator Sweet Pickles.
Ingredients
- 3 quarts pickling cucumbers sliced thin
- 1 large onion sliced thin
- 3 cups sugar
- ¼ cup Kosher salt
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Put sugar, salt, vinegar and spices in a gallon jar. If you don't have a jar that's large enough, you can put them in a tupperware container or several smaller glass jars.
- Shake well. Add sliced cucumbers and onion. Stir well.
- Keep refrigerated and shake or stir well every day for four days. On the fifth day they are ready to eat.
- These will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Chó Siba inu
I’m still learning from you, but I’m making my way to the top as well. I absolutely love reading everything that is posted on your blog.Keep the information coming. I liked it!
David Arnett
Do these pickles turn out more sweet than sour?
I’m trying to find a recipe that doesn’t produce a really sour, vinegar heavy pickle.
Leah
Don’t you heat the brine?
Barbara
I have the same question as Bill: do you not add water to fill to top of jar? 2 cups vinegar does not sound like enough liquid in a gallon jar? Pls answer would really like to make these :)
Kelly Roenicke
No, just the vinegar, no water! The thinly sliced pickles will kind of wilt and take up less space. It will be enough! I make these all the time. :)
Joni S White
I forgot to rate! Five stars
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for sure!
Bill
Do you add water to cover the cucumber slices while they are pickling?
Lois
No I don’t. I don’t add water to pickles unless called for.
Shay Fowler
I chose this recipe to make my zucchini into pickles because it was the simplest one I could find. It had the fewest ingredients and only four steps. But I doubted it the entire time I was mixing it together. I kept muttering, “this can’t be right…”
I tasted a slice immediately – just to see if it needed adjustment – and was SHOCKED by how delicious it was. I actually ate a small bowl of fresh zucchini pickles right then and there! Absolutely five stars. This will be my go-to pickle recipe from now on!
BRUCE BIGLER
I made 5 quarts a couple of weeks ago , let my friends at the cabin and at the American Legion . They dissapreared so fast I have to make another batch …They are so easy and taste fantastic !!!!
Cyndy
Not sure if my last comment posted, trying again. I love this recipe but have too many pickles to eat in five days. Do you know if you can can these and how??
thanks
Kelly Roenicke
You can’t can refrigerator pickles. Sorry about that. YOu can keep them in the fridge for quite a while though! 3-4 weeks.
Cyndy
Hi I love my refrigerator pickles from this recipe!!! Do you know if you can- can them? I have so many they won’t all be eaten in five days.
Renate Hunter
Would adding grape leaves keep them crunchy? I do that with my dills.
Sauerkraut Billy
Thanks a ton for this recipe! Your pictures look so great and make me want to try making this recipe right away! Can’t wait to give it a shot at home and share the results with my family. I’ll have to report back once I’ve given it a shot and seen how it goes!
Bonnie
Can you can these in a water bath and if so what would the time be to process. My refg stays full of other things and I just don’t have the room in my refg.
Kelly Roenicke
I don’t know, these are specifically for the refrigerator. I know there are lots of great canned pickle recipes out there, though.
Joni S White
Kelly Roenicke! First timer for me, retired from nursing and now want to enjoy gardening, canning & preserving food. Today jarring my refrigerator pickles! They are wonderful, I say wonderFULL! Thank you for this now family recipe with your name on it! Sharing with family!
Kelly Roenicke
So glad that you enjoyed these!
Pam
Can I reuse the brine and just add more pickles? They only lasted about 2 weeks.
Kelly
I’ve never tried that, I’m not sure!
Amy
Would these freeze well?
Kelly
Nope, I really don’t think so.
Cathy
I make icebox pickles, but I normally have to cook the vinegar base…. Do you not cook it first ? Thank you.
Kelly
You don’t have to cook it!
SkyLeanne
Found this recipe through Foodgawker & looks great, but I’m a little confused. Your ingredients call for thinly slice pickles, do you mean cucumbers? In the directions, you do say cucumbers, but I just wanted to double check…thanks!
Kelly
Yes, cucumbers! The small, pickling kind that you can get in the summer at the farmer’s markets work best. Sorry about that typo!
Anonymous
Look beautiful and easy to make!!! :-)
Michelle L.
Oh, yum, this sounds so good! And I’ve been sad that I won’t have a chance to put up dill pickles this year – I am definitely trying these!
its simple love
What a lovely recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Rachael
Meeling
Those look fabulous and on a turkey burger…yum!!
Have a great weekend!
Krysten @ After 'I Do'
Anything involving pickles is good in my book, yummy.