Crunchy Refrigerator Pickles: Quick & Easy Homemade Dill Pickles
Pickled
Ingredients
4 to 6 small pickling cucumbers, or 2 to 3 small to medium slicing cucumbers
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sea salt, kosher salt or pickling salt (not table salt)
1.5 Tbsp cane sugar
6 sprigs of fresh dill (a small handful), OR 2-3 dill flower heads
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp pinch of red chili flakes
Optional (though highly recommended for crunchy homemade pickles): 1 or 2 grape leaves or oak, horseradish, or black tea leaves. Another alternative is to use a pickle crisp granules.
Optional: A few slices of onion and/or fresh hot chili peppers (e.g. jalapeño pepper). I added some homegrown sweet Walla Walla onion to this batch!
2-6 Fresh cucumbers (depending on type and size)
3/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Sea salt, kosher or pickling salt
1.5 Tbsp Sugar
6 sprigs Fresh dill (a small handful) OR 2-3 dill flower heads
3 cloves Fresh garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp Peppercorns, to taste (about a dozen per jar)
1 tsp Mustard seed
Optional: 1 pinch Red chili flakes (scant 1/2 tsp), or 1 fresh hot chili pepper
Optional: For maximum crispness, 2 whole Grape, horseradish, oak, or black tea leaves. Or, just use pickle crisp granules.
Directions
In cool water, thoroughly wash the fresh dill and cucumbers. Again, avoid using cucumbers that are bruised, soft, or otherwise damaged.
Trim off the ends of the cucumbers, and then cut them into your desired shape such as round slices, halves, or my personal favorite, thick spears.
Soak the cut cucumbers in ice water for several hours before proceeding to packing the jars.
Brine and Pack:
Create the pickling brine by combining the called-for water, vinegars, sugar and salt in a pot on the stovetop. Heat lightly and stir until the sugar and salt both completely dissolve, and then remove the pot from the heat. (The remaining spices will go right in the jar.)
Add the washed dill to the bottom of a clean jar. Then add the peeled garlic cloves and remaining called-for spices into the jar. Also toss in any optional goodies like onion or hot chili peppers now.
If you’re using leaves for tannins, you can either add those to the bottom of the jar now or put them on top at the very end, pressing them down into the brine. Alternatively, add a pickle crisping agent following the product instructions.
Finally, fill the jar with cucumbers. Pack them in tightly to reduce wasted space.
Once the brine has cooled to lukewarm, pour it over the cucumbers until they’re completely submerged and the jar is full. Using a hot brine will slightly cook the cucumbers and thereby make them less crunchy. (If you do happen to need more to completely fill the jar, simply splash a little more vinegar in on top).
Rest and Enjoy!
Add a lid to the jar and then move it to the refrigerator.
Now, allow your refrigerator pickles to sit and marinate in the refrigerator for about 5 days before consuming in order to develop maximum delicious dilly pickle flavor. (I always sneak a few before then though!)
Over the first couple days in the fridge, gently shake the jar every now and then in order to mix and wet the ingredients that may be exposed or floating on the very top of the jar. This isn’t crucial; I just do it when I see them and remember.