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Turn your garden cucumbers into easy, crispy refrigerator dill pickles with everyday pantry staples! You will not believe how easy they are to throw together and best of all, this recipe is adaptable. Make just one jar or make a bunch!
I bet you’re asking about the title of this recipe…”Lazy girl” pickles?
Here’s the thing. Most dill pickle recipes require fresh dill. Although I love growing dill, I don’t do it every year and I’m not interested in paying a premium for it at the grocery store.
Plus, sometimes I can’t be bothered to peel garlic. Yes, it’s delicious, but life’s busy and half the time, the garlic has withered away by the time I get to it anyway.
This recipe is SIMPLE. You get the dill flavor from the dried dill seed, a little savoriness from the mustard, and plenty of tanginess from the pickling brine.
Just warm the liquid while you’re slicing your cukes, pack the jars, and fill with the brine. Seal, refrigerate, and you are done.
Give them a little time in the fridge, then use them on your burgers, sandwiches, potato salad, and more. Easy!
Why you’ll love this Refrigerator Dill Pickle Recipe
- Ready to pop in the fridge in about 5-10 minutes
- No need to deal with the water bath canner
- The cucumber slices are nice and crisp since you aren’t boiling them (like regular pickles)
- Uses just a few basic spices instead of requiring a trip to the store for pickling spice or dill flowers
- Customizable batch size so you can make a single batch or a bunch!
Ingredients
- White vinegar – We’re going for that classic tanginess you get from white vinegar. If you’d like, feel free to replace it with apple cider vinegar.
- Fresh cucumbers – I used pickling cucumbers for this batch. Always slice off the ends. You can either slice the cucumbers into spears or into pickle chips, which is what I usually do.
- Dill seeds – These have a concentrated dill flavor. Although you can add some fresh dill or a dill flower, you don’t need them for maximum pickle flavor.
- Yellow mustard seeds – These help balance the dill flavor and keep the pickles savory. Again, I try to keep this recipe quick and easy, so this is the only other spice I add.
- Salt – This is a key part of pickling. I recommend using kosher salt or sea salt.
- Sugar (optional) – For a little extra sweetness. Dill tastes best (at least to me) with a little sweetness to wake it up.
Best Types of Cucumbers for Quick Pickles
There are so many different varieties of cucumbers out there and I’ve used pretty much all of them to make fridge pickles!
You can use English cucumbers, tiny little Persian cucumbers, pickling cukes, lemon cucumbers, and more.
What matters more than variety is freshness. It is the MOST important thing to consider.
You do NOT want to use soft, mushy cucumbers hanging out in your crisper drawer after weeks.
You want firm, taut, ultra-fresh cukes, preferably straight out of the garden.
If you’re pickling homegrown cucumbers, try to use fully ripe, not overripe pickles. By that, I mean choosing cucumbers at their ideal size.
Once they get too big, they start to toughen up and aren’t as nice to eat. As a rule of thumb, you want to use smaller cucumbers whenever possible.
How to Make Single Batch Refrigerator Pickles with Dill Seed
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Heat until simmering and bubbling.
- Meanwhile, pack a pint jar with sliced cucumbers, dill seeds, mustard seeds, and fresh dill (if using).
- Once the brine is bubbling, carefully pour it into the jar of sliced cucumbers. Seal with a lid, shake, and let the jar cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. (P.S. The jar will be hot at this time!)
- Allow the pickles to cure for 2-3 days at minimum, but ideally about a week. They will keep for approximately one month.
Making multiple batches at a time
This recipe specifically makes enough brine for one pint jar.
If you would like to make more than one jar at a time, simply multiply the measurements for the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar while adding the dried spices directly to the jars like normal.
I find that in general, you need about 1 cup of liquid per pint jar, depending on how full you pack those jars with cucumber slices.
If you’re running out of brine, you may need to shake or press the cucumbers more firmly into the jar (or simply make a little extra brine).
How long do refrigerator pickles last?
First, let’s be clear that these pickles are NOT shelf stable. Pickles must be canned or fermented to be shelf stable and these have not. They must be stored in the fridge.
In the past, I’ve kept quick pickles in the fridge for literally months. I just grab what I need and let them keep doing their thing until I need them again.
However, I’ve seen differing numbers on how long they’ll keep. Some sources say as little as two weeks (particularly for onions) while others say three months or so.
Personally, I opt for about a month to a month and a half. It helps to put a date on the jar to remember when you made them. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you forget!
It’s essential to understand how to gauge when quick pickles go bad. If the flavor starts to change, the pickles begin to soften, or you notice an unpleasant smell or sliminess, it’s time to toss them.
When it doubt, throw them out.
Tips & Variations
- Add some heat. For a spicier pickle, add up to 1 tsp red pepper flakes per jar plus 1-2 fresh garlic cloves.
- Use the freshest cucumbers available. Ideally, you’ll want to start pickling your cukes within a day of harvesting. This is easier if you have a garden. If you’re buying your cucumbers from a store, look for very crisp, firm cucumbers.
- Try different veggies. This dill brine can be used with other fresh veggies, too. Try pickling carrots, green beans, asparagus, and more. If using green beans or asparagus, consider giving them a quick blanch first.
- Load up on spices. If you have time to raid the spice cupboard, add 4-5 whole black peppercorns, up to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp coriander, and a bay leaf. Plus, you can add fresh dill and even fresh garlic, too.
More Pickle Recipes
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Ultra Easy Dill Fridge Pickles {No Fresh Dill Needed}
Equipment
- 1 pint jar
Ingredients
- 3-4 small, fresh cucumbers, thinly sliced into chips
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp sugar, optional
- 1/2 tsp dill seeds
- 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Heat until simmering and bubbling.1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tbsp kosher salt, 1/2 tbsp sugar
- Meanwhile, pack a pint jar with sliced cucumbers, dill seeds, mustard seeds, and fresh dill, if using. They will shrink, so add more than you think and press them down to the bottom of the neck of the jar (right at the shoulders).3-4 small, fresh cucumbers, 1/2 tsp dill seeds, 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- Once the brine is bubbling, carefully pour it into the jar of sliced cucumbers. Seal with a lid, shake, and let the jar cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. (P.S. The jar will be hot at this time!)
- Allow the pickles to cure for 2-3 days at minimum, but ideally about a week. They will keep for approximately one month.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
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This recipe is very easy to do and a great way to preserve summer cukes. I added garlic to my last batch; I wonder how that will taste?
I think adding garlic sounds so good! That garlicky flavor will permeate out and make your pickles extra delicious. So glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s a great base and you can definitely add different things (like garlic, onions, fresh dill, other dried spices) to make it your own.