Want a tangy, crunchy pickle with no boiling jars or heating up your kitchen? Then you've got to try these no-cook refrigerator pickles!
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No-cook refrigerator pickles are ridiculously easy, packed with flavor, and ready in just a few hours. Whether you're rich with cucumbers from your garden or just craving a fresh, homemade, crunchy pickle, this easy, no-boil pickle recipe is for you.
Just add your ingredients to a jar, top off with some hot water from the kettle, and shake them up.
Then, refrigerate them for a few hours to let all of those incredible flavors infuse your cucumbers and transform them into crunchy, delicious, refrigerator pickles!
Because we are not hot processing these pickles, you must store them in the refrigerator, where they will keep for two to three weeks. They are not shelf stable.
Love a no-cook pickle? Then you definitely have to try my quick pickled shallots and my pickled hot peppers! They're so good on tacos, sandwiches, salads, etc.
💖 Why You'll Love this Recipe
- 10 minute prep and no standing over the stove
- easy to customize - Use the same flavors I am or mix things up!
- crisp and crunchy pickles packed with flavor
- cheaper than buying pickles at the grocery store
✓ Ingredients and Substitutions
- cucumber - You can use conventional cucumbers or English cucumbers. If you use an English cucumber, you may need a third one to fill the jars, though you probably won't need the whole thing.
- brine - Pickle brine is a combination of vinegar, water, and spices. For this brine, we are using apple cider vinegar, but you can use white vinegar if you prefer. We are seasoning the brine with garlic, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and crushed pepper flakes, but feel free to play around with flavors and use what you have! The sugar and salt add flavor and help preserve the pickles, so do not omit or reduce. Remember: you're not drinking the brine, so you won't be ingesting most of the salt and sugar when you eat these no-cook refrigerator pickles.
- flavor variation ideas - Check your spice cabinet and fridge, and have fun with this recipe! Add extra garlic, sliced jalapeños, more red pepper flakes, some sliced onion, fresh dill, or lemon zest. You can also add other whole spices, like coriander seeds or fennel seeds, to change the flavor profile. For no-cook bread and butter pickles, double the amount of sugar you are using.
🔪 How to Make No-Cook Refrigerator Pickles
Wash and slice your cucumbers into spears or coins-your choice. Spears are great for snacking, coins work well on sandwiches and burgers.
In two clean pint-sized mason jars, divide the garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Then, pack the sliced cucumbers in tightly. Top off each jar with hot water from the kettle or microwave, then close the lids and give the jars a good shake to mix.
Refrigerate the jars for at least a few hours to let the flavors meld. If you can wait until the next day, the flavor will be even better, but I understand if you want to bust into those pickles sooner!
💡 Helpful Tips
- You want to be sure that the cucumbers are completely submerged in the brine, so top it off completely with the water.
- Refrigerator pickles get more flavorful as they sit in the brine. This will be tasty after a few hours, but if you can wait overnight or even 24 hours, they'll taste even better!
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
These are what they say they are: pickles that require no cooking at all and that you store in the refrigerator.
These will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Do not store them in the pantry!
Yes! You can reuse it one time, but you do need to bring it to a boil for a few minutes before using. You can do this on the stovetop or in the microwave.
You don't! Any clean, glass jar will work, as long as you can pack it tightly. If you can fit all of the cucumber and brine into one jar, that will work, too. I only recommend two pint jars because they are a common kitchen item.
🍴 More Easy Homemade Pickles
📖 Recipe
🫙 No-Cook Refrigerator Pickles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber washed and sliced into spears or ¼" thick coins. You can use 2-3 small cucumbers instead, if you prefer.
- 1 ¼ cups apple cider vinegar
- hot water as needed
- 1 tablespoon salt divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar divided
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds divided
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns divided
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for heat, divided
Instructions
- Wash and slice your cucumbers into spears or coins, if you haven't already. Spears are great for snacking, coins work well on sandwiches and veggie burgers. If you aren't sure what to do, make one of each!
- In two clean pint-sized mason jars, divide the garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Then, pack the cucumber slices/spears in tightly. Top off each jar with the hot water from the kettle or microwave, then close the lids and give the jars a good shake to mix.
- Refrigerate the jars for at least a few hours to let the flavors meld. If you can wait until the next day, the flavor will be even better, but I understand if you want to bust into those pickles sooner!
Got a question? Tried this recipe? Leave a reply!