Making pickles at home couldn’t be simpler! Here are easy recipes for quick refrigerator homemade pickles to get you started.
Are you a pickle fan? Well you’re in luck, because making pickles at home couldn’t be easier! Why make homemade pickles? They’re infinitely tastier than pickles from the grocery store. And, you’ll have a sense of accomplishment that doesn’t come from grabbing a jar of pickles off the shelf at the store. Here are our favorite easy homemade pickles: all of them are either refrigerator pickles or quick pickles. Keep reading for the recipes.
What are refrigerator pickles?
First off, what are refrigerator pickles? Refrigerator pickles are vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar solution and simply refrigerated for 1 hour: no canning required! They last for 1 month in the refrigerator, instead of a year or more on the shelf like traditional canned pickles.
No special canning equipment is needed and there’s no boiling involved, which makes the entire process fast and simple. Refrigerator pickles last 1 month in the fridge, versus indefinitely at room temp with unopened canned pickles. But they’re so deliciously crunchy, you’ll eat them much faster than that!
What are quick pickles?
Quick pickles are vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt solution and stored in the refrigerator. Sometimes, the term “quick pickles” means something that doesn’t even make it into a jar. You might make our Quick Pickled Red Onions to go on a pizza or tacos. Or this Korean ramen recipe is served with quick pickled cucumbers.
And now…the best homemade pickles recipes!
First up in our easy homemade pickles recipes: dill pickles! These refrigerator dill pickles require just 10 minutes of hands on prep work and are great on sandwiches or eaten straight from the jar. Slice up baby cucumbers, then add fresh dill and coriander seeds to the mix. Pour on the pickling brine and wait 24-hours and a delightfully fresh and complex flavor emerges. The cucumbers stay crisp and retain a lovely crunch!
Here's a unique homemade pickles recipe: cauliflower! This pickled cauliflower is full of bright, tangy flavor, with an herbal essence from fresh dill and coriander seeds. Add bell pepper and carrots to make a colorful jar and they’re positively eye catching! We love cauliflower pickles because biting into a floret is an explosion of flavor. It’s almost even better than a dill pickle…we think.
There’s nothing quite like the salty, tangy crunch of pickled carrots, is there? Eat them as a relish, throw them on a cheese board, add them to sandwiches…or simply inhale them right out of the jar. These quick pickled carrots are beyond simple to make at home. You don’t need any special canning equipment or expertise. Just mix up a brine, cut the carrots, and throw them in a jar. In 24 hours, you’ve got pickles!
Ever had pickled red onions? These quick pickles are easy to make and perfect for topping tacos, sandwiches, and salads! They bring a tangy brightness that’s unlike any other condiment. The color is beautiful: the eye-popping pink slivers make any dish look like a piece of art. Luckily, homemade pickled onions are also simple to make. The hands-on time is only about 5 minutes, then wait just 1 hour before you dig in. Try them on pizza, tacos, or salads.
Love peppers and love canning? Then it’s time to try making your own. This basic quick pickles recipe works with any type of pepper: bell peppers, jalapeños, or banana peppers. Mix them up, throw them in a jar, and cover with a tangy sweet brine. In 1 hour you’ve got pickles! They’re fantastic for adding to chili, sandwiches, salads, sautes, and more.
Want a condiment that brings a zing to any recipe? Enter: quick pickled radishes! This is what to do with that bunch of radishes in your refrigerator. Thinly slice them and throw them in a jar with vinegar, salt, and sugar, then let the ingredients do the hard part! All you have to do is wait 1 hour; no canning equipment needed. They liven up any meal, from sandwiches to tacos!
Ever made your own pickled jalapeños? Now’s the time to start! This recipe is so easy: it takes only 10 minutes of hands on time. And the flavor? Explosively good! These pickled jalapeños have a tangy pop; they’re like a heightened version of the ones you can get at the store. We made these to go on our Ultimate Vegan Chili, and were surprised when we tasted them. “How are these so good?”
Got extra green beans? Here’s a great way to preserve them: Pickled Green Beans! These spears come out crunchy and ultra tangy, with just the right hint of garlic and dill on the finish. Be careful: you’ll want to eat the whole jar! They’re great for snacking, charcuterie boards and cheese plates, and of course: a good old Bloody Mary garnish.
Hello, garlic lovers. Welcome to your dream recipe: Pickled Garlic! Pickling takes this vegetable to a whole new level: it mellows into a sweet, savory and tangy version of itself. It’s got none of the intense bite of the raw version of itself. Pickled garlic works on cheese and charcuterie boards, but it’s so much more than that: use it in vegetable sautés, pasta sauces, grains, and more.
Next in our homemade pickles: these Quick Pickled Vegetables! Similar to dill pickles, these pickled vegetables use the refrigerator pickles method. But instead of using only cucumbers, we used a mix of vegetables: cauliflower, carrots, and sweet peppers. You can use any vegetables you’d like, and can likely find a good variety at your local farmers market. We loved this variation on the standard recipe, and the two jars disappeared very quickly at our house.
This homemade pickles recipe is a bit more unique: it’s pickled okra! What do you do when your okra plant take over your garden? Make pickled okra, of course! It takes under 20 minutes to prep. The peppercorns, dried chilies, and fresh dill in this recipe make for super flavorful okra that’s delicious eaten on its own as a snack or appetizer. Or, throw it into a Bloody Mary!
Got banana peppers? Here’s a fantastic way to use them: Pickled Banana Peppers! Turns out, this mild pepper is absolutely perfect for pickling. The tangy, garlicky flavor that results is absolutely irresistible! Use these bright yellow slices like a mild form of pepperoncini: in salads, on sandwiches, on chili, and more.
Here’s a jar you’ll far hard for: Dilly Beans! These slender, crunchy pickled green beans pack a vinegary, herbaceous punch. They’re irresistible to snack on out of the jar, and make the ideal condiment to a picnic lunch, pitch in or cheese plate. All you need is 20 minutes, a jar and some beans to whip up this quick pickles recipe: and you’ll be glad you did.
Got green tomatoes? It’s hard to describe just how next level these pickled green tomatoes are. They’re tangy, salty, a little sweet, and the absolute perfect condiment. If you’re a pickle lover, you’ll adore these! You can only make them when green tomatoes are in season, but when they are...they're a total treat.
These delicious zingy orbs are bright and beautiful, a rainbow of red flesh fading into the yellowed rind. Take one bite and the tangy flavor with a hint of clove and coriander will have you immediately reaching for another. This pickled watermelon rind recipe is the ideal preserving project: a great way to reduce food waste after making smoothies, juice, or watermelon salad!
15 Homemade Pickles Recipes: Dill Pickles & More!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 jars 1x
Description
These easy homemade dill pickles require just 10 minutes of hands on prep work and are great on sandwiches or eaten straight from the jar!
Ingredients
- 2 1-pint wide-mouth mason jars with lids
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds small cucumbers (like Kirby)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 ⅓ cup water
- 1 large handful fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dill seeds)
Instructions
- Wash two mason jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse, and let air dry.
- Quarter the cucumbers into four slices lengthwise (cut off tips so they to fit inside the jar). Peel and cut the garlic cloves in half.
- In a saucepan, place the coriander seeds, whole peppercorns, sugar, kosher salt, white vinegar and water. Whisk over low heat until fully dissolved, about 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
- In the two clean mason jars, tightly pack the cucumbers, garlic and fresh dill.
- Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers. Tap the jars on the counter to release any air bubbles and top off the jar with extra water if any cucumbers are exposed.
- Wipe jar rims dry and place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until they are hand tight.
- Leave the jars in the fridge for 24 hours before tasting. The pickles last up to 1 month in the refrigerator (they’re not shelf stable, but they never last that long!).
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Pickled
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Homemade Pickles
Pictures are so great! Very colorful – cannot wait to make my own homemade pickles! Thank you for sharing.