Easy 20-Minute Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Back in 2020, in the lacto-fermented pickle post, I said I had graduated from Costco’s Kosher Baby Dills to a homemade pickle and that I would detail it at a later date. This is the later date.

It’s the same base as my pickled red onion: about half vinegar, half water, with garlic, peppercorns and mustard powder, simmered and poured over whatever you’re pickling. For cucumbers the dill goes in. About 20 minutes of work, then two days in the fridge.

I usually just buy large cucumbers and cut them into spears. This time Farm Boy had a special on small ones that were close to expiring, $2 a tray, so I took advantage.

Brine first. Vinegar, water, garlic, peppercorns, mustard powder, dill seed, dill weed and a pinch of salt all go in the pot. I use slightly more vinegar than water.

This batch was white vinegar with a splash of apple cider vinegar. Use whatever type of vinegar you like to taste; try out different ones. Just keep it at least half vinegar (more on that below).

Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

Most of the dill flavour actually comes from the dill seed, not the dill weed. Use both anyway; the weed looks nice in the jar.

Cut the ends off the cucumbers and cut them into spears; I did a jar of rounds as well. Turn the jar on its side to pack it; it’s a lot easier to get them in tight that way. Fit as many as you reasonably can without crushing them. I use 1 L jars (one 500 ml this time).

Three trays filled five jars. I threw in some red onion as well; it’s optional, but pickled red onion is delicious on tacos and sandwiches.

Pour the brine over the top, garlic and spices and all, to about ¼–½ inch (5 mm–1 cm) from the rim. If there isn’t enough liquid, heat up a bit more vinegar and water and pour that over.

Wait until it’s less than hellishly hot, then put the lid on. As it cools it will vacuum seal the top of the jar.

These are not shelf stable. That seal doesn’t mean they’re canned. The brine was hot when the lid went on; as the jar cools, the air in the top of it shrinks and pulls the lid down. Oregon State’s extension service calls it a “false seal”: it won’t protect against spoilage the way a boiling water bath and a tested recipe will, so these never get stored at room temperature. The same answer says fridge storage is fine as long as the vinegar to water ratio is at least 1 to 1. That’s the other reason I go a little heavier on the vinegar, whichever kind I’m using.

Give the jar a shake to spread everything around kind of evenly, then into the fridge for two days. They last quite a while in there; a few weeks.

Verdict

It’s a great recipe and easy to do. I don’t know what I would change to make it a 10/10; pickles are quite simple.

Eat and enjoy.