No Cook Refrigerator Pickles
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No Cook Refrigerator Pickles are tart, crunchy, and perfectly sweet. This easy refrigerator pickle recipe uses spices and vinegar to make crispy bread and butter pickles that last for months in your fridge!
If you prefer the savory taste of dill, try these tangy Refrigerator Dill Pickles that are also packed with flavor. Or, go for the sweet heat of Fire and Ice Pickles that make great holiday gifts!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick pickles are easy to make. All you need are some mason jars, new lids, and a few simple ingredients. You don't need any special equipment to make this quick pickle recipe.
- Nothing could be more delicious. I never knew how good pickled vegetables could be until I made my own. Whether you cut the cucumbers into thick or thin slices...it doesn't matter! Homemade pickles are a great way to preserve nature's bounty.
- Refrigerated pickles last for months! You can literally make them in 15 minutes and they'll last in your fridge for a long time (if you don't eat them first!).
What is a No-Cook Pickle?
A no-cook pickle means you don't have to go through the canning process. You just stack vegetables in glass mason jars and pour a simple brine over the cucumber slices (or whatever you're pickling).
Fasten the clean lids and bands and refrigerate overnight. In the morning you'll have crunchy pickles with a sweet and tangy bite.
Ingredient Notes
- Pickling Cucumbers - can use English cucumbers or regular as well
- Sweet Onion - vidalia onions or red onions will also work
- Red Peppers - I use small red peppers, but you can dice a large one if preferred
- Granulated Sugar - white sugar is recommended in this recipe
- Hot Water - helps to pickle the vegetables
- Apple Cider Vinegar - can substitute distilled white vinegar
- Minced Garlic - fresh garlic or minced garlic stored in water is the best choice
- Mustard Seed - can be found in the spice section of your grocery store
- Dried Turmeric - gives these pickles their bright yellow color
- Dried Ground Cloves - adds an extra punch of flavor
- Salt - use pickling salt if you don't want the final results to be cloudy
- Red Pepper Flakes - adds a little heat
Equipment You'll Need
Plan on purchasing several quart size mason jars, or pint size if you prefer something smaller. A canning funnel with a wide mouth is helpful when adding liquid to the jars. Kitchen tongs are not necessary but come in handy when stacking vegetables. A cutting board and sharp knife is also helpful for prep.
How to Make No Cook Refrigerator Pickles
This recipe makes a small batch of bread and butter pickles that fit in a 1 quart mason jar or 2 pint size jars. Follow these easy steps for best results...
STEP 1 - Start by gathering your canning jars and lids. Wash glass jars well, then dry. It's important to start with a clean jar and to always use new bands and lids.
STEP 2 - Cut up pickling cucumbers and vegetables with a sharp knife. Layer vegetables in quart jars, or use two pint jars.
STEP 3 - Mix sugar with hot water and stir about 3 minutes until sugar dissolves.
STEP 4 - Combine vinegar, garlic, celery seed, mustard seed, turmeric, ground cloves, salt, and a dash of red pepper flakes in a large glass bowl. Add the sugar water and mix well. This creates your basic brine. If you want the pickling process to go faster, heat up the brine before pouring over vegetables.
STEP 5 - Ladle vinegar brine over vegetables in mason jar. Leave about a ½ inch headspace to allow room for air bubbles. You can use a funnel if needed. Shake the jar to distribute spices.
STEP 6 - Place lid and band on the jar and close tightly. Wipe any excess brine off of jar. Place sealed jars of sweet pickles in the refrigerator and cool a few days before eating. Shake well before serving.
Variations
Squash, zucchini, okra, asparagus, fresh cucumbers, carrots, bell pepper, onions and tomatoes have succumbed to a brine bath filled with hefty herbs and spices. There's no limit to what you can do with this great recipe!
Types of Spices to Use
This is the fun part. You can add whatever seasonings you like to these veggies, including herbs like fresh dill weed, thyme or even rosemary and oregano. If you like hot sauce, throw in some cayenne or sriracha. My recipe includes spices I had on hand in my spice cabinet which is another great perk.
Some people use pickling spices instead of mixing a bunch together. I made up my own secret recipe of garlic cloves, celery seed, turmeric, ground cloves, salt, sugar and a dash of red pepper flakes.
Recipe FAQS
The refrigerated version is not processed in a water bath canner so they're not shelf stable. They must be kept in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage.
No, that's the best part! The peels on the cucumbers add a nice crunch after they're pickled, so definitely leave them on.
Homegrown cucumbers that come out of your own vegetable garden are the best option, but any type of pickling cucumber will do. The waxy ones at the grocery store are not the best choice since the wax doesn't allow the brine to get through.
What's the Best Vinegar for Pickling?
It's important to use a vinegar that has at least 5% acidity and not to dilute the mix in order to ensure a safe pickling process. I like to use apple cider vinegar that includes 'the mother' which means it contains probiotics.
One of the most popular vinegars to use is distilled white vinegar. Advantages of using white vinegar include less discoloration of vegetables, and it's usually over 5% acidity. It also doesn't affect the flavor of the veggies as much as other vinegars tend to do.
Can These Be Pressure-Canned?
You could pressure-can these pickles, but I like to take the easy way out, which is one of the main reasons I love quick pickling.
It couldn't be faster to slice up some veggies and throw them in a jar with a vinegar brine. Plus, pickles stay crispy in the refrigerator for a long time.
Tips for Success
- Wash vegetables with a scrub brush before using.
- Clean all jars and use new bands and lids.
- Use a canning funnel to pour the brine into the jars if desired.
- Turmeric is what causes the yellow brine to form.
- For best results, wait 3 days before eating pickles to give them time to marinate.
Storage
Store no-cook pickles in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Remember that these jars must be refrigerated because they haven't undergone processing.
This is a no-cook recipe. If you want to make the pickling process go faster, boil the brine for 3 minutes before adding to jar. Either way works, but if you boil the brine, the pickling will begin quicker.
Serving Suggestions
I love this simple recipe that creates no-cook refrigerator pickles in just minutes. They come out crispy and full of sweet and spicy flavor every time. The best thing is that they can be made anytime you're having a craving!
Bread and Butter pickles taste great on hamburgers, barbecue sandwiches and in classic potato salad. Try these recipes that go along perfectly with these yummy little appetizers...
- Cranberry Turkey Sliders - perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers
- Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich - goes great with bread and butter pickles
- The Carolina Burger - what's a burger without pickles on top?
- Southern Pulled Pork BBQ - you gotta have a little sass with your barbecue
- Red Skin Potato Salad - potato salad needs these little pickled cucumbers
- Smoked Chicken Legs - the perfect accompaniment
- Pickled Green Tomatoes - a great way to enjoy green tomatoes
- Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe - a sloppy joe sandwich needs pickles too!
Recipe Card
No Cook Refrigerator Pickles
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- Quart Mason Jar (or 2 pints)
- funnel
Ingredients
- 3 large pickling cucumbers (cut in slices)
- 1 sweet onion (cut in strips)
- 3 small red peppers (diced)
- ½ cup hot water
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 cup apple cider or distilled vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- ½ tsp. celery seed
- ¼ tsp. mustard seed
- ½ tsp. dried turmeric
- ¼ tsp. dried ground cloves
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- dash or two of red pepper flakes (to taste)
Instructions
- Wash vegetables as well as jars and lids.
- Slice vegetables and layer in a quart size mason jar, or use two pint size jars. Cucumbers can be sliced thick or thin to your preference.
- Mix sugar with hot water and stir for about 3 minutes until sugar dissolves.
- Mix vinegar, garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, ground cloves, salt, and a dash of red pepper flakes in a large glass bowl. Pour in sugar water and mix well to create the brine.
- Ladle brine over vegetables in mason jar. Leave a ½ inch headspace. Use a funnel if desired.
- Place lid and band on jar and close tightly. Shake jar to distribute spices.
- Put pickles in the refrigerator and cool overnight before eating. The longer you wait to eat them, the better they will taste.
- Store pickles for up to 2 months in refrigerator.
Notes
- This is a no cook recipe. If you want to make the pickling process go faster, boil the brine for 3 minutes before adding to jar. Either way works, but if you boil the brine, the pickling will begin quicker.
- This recipe makes a small batch that fits in a 1 quart mason jar or 2 pint mason jars.
- If you use another type of cucumber, you will need to adjust the quantity.
- To ensure safety, always check vinegar levels to make sure they have at least 5% acidity.
- Substitute pickling spices for other ingredients if desired.
- Store pickles in refrigerator. They are not shelf stable.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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I’ve got a lot of cucumbers! I’m going to try this recipe!
I love doing pickles...are these a zesty like pickles...
They have a little kick, yes. But they're also sweet so they have a sweet and tangy flavor.
What are your thoughts about leaving out the sugar? I prefer a savory pickle versus a sweet one. Thanks for your advice!
I think you could do that without any problem. I've heard that sugar helps the pickling process along, but maybe you could just add one or two tablespoons to see what happens. I've never made dill pickles, but I think I'll try it now!
Beautiful. Love your spice blend!
Thanks, Carol. These pickles turned out so great! I'm sure you'll get a batch before it's all over.