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Quick pickled cucumbers are the definition of easy. All you need is cucumbers, dill, garlic, and salt. Soon you’ll have fresh pickles to snack on!
Every year during cucumber season, we prepare several jars of these pickles. They are slightly different from canned pickles, but equally as tasty. Flavorwise, they lie in-between fresh and traditionally pickled cucumbers.
Looking to pickle more veggies? Use our pickled vegetables recipe for ideas on how to pickle a plethora of veggies such as radishes, cauliflower, carrots, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and more.
What Are Quick Pickles?
Quick pickles, sometimes called refrigerator pickles, are cucumbers marinated in a salt brine for at least two days. These pickles are made to be eaten in the short term. They are quick to make with only 10 minutes of prep time and a couple days of marinating. Quick pickles are different from regular (canned) pickles, as canned pickles ferment while submerged in a strong brine solution.
How To Pickle Cucumbers
This pickled cucumber recipe is much simpler than a canning version. Instead of pickling in a white vinegar acid solution like many pickled cucumber recipes, we use a salt water brine instead. Follow these easy steps to get crunchy cukes every time.
- Prep the cucumbers: Wash and slice off the ends of the cucumbers. Rinse the dill and peel the garlic cloves.
- Stuff the jar: Add salt, fresh dill, and garlic into a jar. Stuff the jar with the cucumbers.
- Add water: Pour the water up to the top of the jar.
- Cover the jar: Close the jar with a lid and let it sit at room temperature for at least 48 hours. Once pickled, store in the fridge.
Hot tip: These mason jars are our favorite containers for pickling veggies. They’re easy to clean, aesthetic, and overall so versatile!
What Kind of Cucumbers Are Best For Pickling?
All cucumbers are delicious, but not all are created equal when it comes to pickling. Medium-to-small-sized kirby cucumbers are the prime choice for turning into pickles. Their skin remains crunchy and keeps the signature snap even when refrigerated in pickling juice for long periods of time.
Pass over thin-skinned cucumbers like English cucumbers. They don’t stand up well to the pickling liquid and become soggy and break apart easily.
Hot tip: Get your pickling cucumbers from a farmer’s market. These cucumbers often taste better than most store-bought cucumbers. They also come without the wax coating most farm-to-supermarket growers use for protection during shipping.
Additional Pickle Seasonings
Want to pump up the flavor of your dill pickles? Here are a couple extra ingredients to throw into the jar to spice things up.
- Red pepper flakes: For a nice punch of heat, add a tablespoon of red pepper flakes.
- Mustard seeds: These seeds will make the pickling jar look super pretty, but more importantly, they will add a mellow sweet and spicy flavor to the pickle.
- Coriander seeds: If you like lemony and floral flavors, add a couple tablespoons of coriander to the mix.
- Bay leaf: Bay leaves add flavor and tannins to the pickle. Tannins help to keep the pickle crunchy.
- Fresh herbs: Experiment with other fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, or rosemary for more herby flavor.
Serving the Pickles
These pickles are crazy versatile — they go with almost any entreé or appetizer. Serve the pickles on a plate of their own, as part of a charcuterie board, or slice them lengthwise and put them into an egg and sprats canape. Or, slice them horizontally and layer them inside a chicken sandwich or on burgers.
When you’re craving a tangy salad with pickles, dice them up and make these tasty slavic salads: beet salad, shuba (fur coat salad), or olivier potato salad. If you prefer a non-slavic salad, tuna salad is a great option to use these pickles in.
Making Quick Pickles Ahead of Time
Making pickles ahead of time is not only okay, it’s recommended! Since quick cucumber pickles take at least two days to marinate, prep them at least two days before serving. Or, prep them a week in advance for even more brine-y and crunchy pickles!
Storing the Pickles
Quick pickles last up to a month in your refrigerator. Afterwards, they start to become mushy. Store them in an airtight mason jar to really stretch out their shelf life. Make sure to twist the lid back tight after every use!
FAQ
Can I reuse the pickle brine?
It is best not to reuse pickle brine, as the flavor will not be the same. The brine for these pickles is so simple and easy, so make a fresh brine to ensure the new batch of pickles tastes equally as amazing.
Do I need to boil the liquid solution to make quick pickles?
When using our brine to make quick pickles, there is no need to boil the liquid. In other pickling recipes, boiling may be necessary — however, in this version, it is not.
Should quick pickles sit in the refrigerator or at room temperature?
When quick pickles are marinating/soaking, it is best to leave them at room temperature, as cold can slow down the process. After they are marinated, store the pickles in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life.
More Pickled Vegetables
- Pickled Mushrooms – These are the perfect addition to your next charcuterie board
- Pickled Beets – Perfect for adding to a salad or eating straight from the jar
- Quick Pickled Asparagus – Pickle a bunch of spears for an easy side to have on hand.
- Easy Pickled Red Onions — Add a handful of these to a steak sandwich or on top of a street taco
- Pickled Jalapeños — The flawless kick of heat to add to almost any dish
Recipe
Quick Pickled Cucumber Recipe
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Servings
10 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin
Quick pickled cucumbers are the definition of easy. All you need is cucumbers, dill, garlic, and salt. Soon you'll have fresh pickles to snack on!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs kirby cucumbers
- 6 sprigs of fresh dill
- 10 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp salt
- 1 qt lukewarm water
US Units – Metric
Instructions
Wash and snip off the ends of cucumbers. Rinse dill and clean garlic cloves.
Put dill, salt, garlic into the jar.
Fill the jar with cucumbers. Pour water over cucumbers and make sure to bring the water all the way to the top.
Cover the jar with a lid and let it sit in a room temperature for 48 hours. Once the cucumbers are pickled, they can be stored in a fridge.
Nutrition Facts
Quick Pickled Cucumber Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 15
% Daily Value*
Sodium 2095mg87%
Potassium 139mg4%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Vitamin A 110IU2%
Vitamin C 4.4mg5%
Calcium 21mg2%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Posted June 22, 2023
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SarahSep 25, 2023 Do I need to sterilize the jar to use this recipe?
Natalya DrozhzhinSep 25, 2023 Hi Sarah, The jars do not need to be sterilized for this quick pickled cucumber recipe. Jars are sterilized when canning. I hope this helps!
CaitlinJul 26, 2023 Are these supposed to be made without vinegar? Or am I missing something? 🤔
Natalya DrozhzhinJul 26, 2023 Hi Caitlin, That's right - no vinegar. Give them a try and let us know what you think.
Jennifer LynnMar 22, 2023 Help! These did not work for me. I followed directions to a tee. The 61 oz jar I got at Ikea with a wooden top and plastic ring was not a complete, secure, snug fit. I made 1.5 batches of the entire recipe. I did not crush the garlic, left them whole. I used course sea salt but did not fully dissolve it in the water. The pickles started to float at 24 hours and at 36 hours the water was getting cloudy, murky. These are not good signs. At 48 hours the pickles taste like cucumbers. What did I do wrong? What do I need to correct? Get a more snug fit container? Does it have to be glass? Use boiling water and fully dissolve the salt? Partially crush the garlic cloves? TIA
JennaJul 17, 2023 I've also read that pickling salt can prevent that murky cloudy appearance vs other types of salt
Natalya DrozhzhinMar 22, 2023 Hi Jennifer, The salt needs to be dissolved or the water will have no flavor. You can dump out the water and use warm water and dissolve salt. Add to back to cucumbers and it should help. Also, with the current weather it make take them longer to get the pickling flavor. This recipe works great on a warm summer day and allowing them to fermented in a warm room helps. Let me know if this helps 🙂
SoniaOct 28, 2022 I have made these pickles for many years. The only addition I would add is to use boiling salted brine ( which I make separately) , for first 24 hours I cover the top with rye bread( things ferment quicker) remove and make sure the pickles are submerged at all times. I use the same technique for all different size containers from jars to large crocks!
CarolAug 30, 2021 What kind of salt is best?
Natalya DrozhzhinAug 30, 2021 Hey Carol, currently I use Himalayan salt but kosher salt would be a good one for this recipe.
Linda HNov 8, 2020 Great recipe! Just a tad too salty for me, but my husband loved them!
Natalya DrozhzhinNov 9, 2020 Linda you could always change the amount to suit you; I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe regardless!
sandySep 24, 2020 no vinegar?
Natalya DrozhzhinSep 24, 2020 Hey Sandy, Yes, this recipe does not require vinegar. I hope you love it!
MelissaJul 16, 2020 Wow - I really enjoyed making these and love the way they turned
out!!Natalya DrozhzhinJul 16, 2020 I am so happy to hear this Melissa! Thank you
mariaJul 14, 2020 hi Natalya. where did you buy this cute glass jar with the glass lid?
Natalya DrozhzhinJul 14, 2020 Hey Maria, they are from Ikea. 🙂
BethJul 13, 2020 This recipe is so delicious and tasty! I can't wait to make this!
Natalya DrozhzhinJul 14, 2020 Hey Beth, thank you for sharing. So good to hear.
dariaJul 10, 2020 how about a bread & butter pickles recipe? those are so good do you have a recipe that i can follow?
Natalya DrozhzhinJul 10, 2020 Hey Daria, I don't have one on my blog currently.
Natalya DrozhzhinDec 3, 2019 Yes, they do become more fomented.
ZSJul 7, 2016 Actually, I just made picked cucumbers as I will say via my mom in laws recipe (which is exactly as you described here) . Last year I made via same recipe, and it turned out bad. Why? Last year, I used Kosher Salt for pickling. This year I used Sea Salt (3.5 tbsp for 2 L of Boiled Water) + everything else (oh + parsley). Actually, it turned out so delicious... Even my kids enjoy eating them...
So definitely this is a delicious recipe.Natalya DrozhzhinJul 8, 2016 I cannot wait to make this recipe. Before we left for Cali I actually bought all ingredients but never got to it.
tiffany anashenkoFeb 3, 2015 hi, i was wondering if maybe you can post bread & butter pickles in a jar recipe before summer? if you have time...your directions to cook food is so easy...thanks so much.
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 3, 2015 Hey Tiffany, my mom has a recipes that she has used for years. I will try t get it form her and post it on here. I appreciate the feedback on the recipes 😉
tiffanyOct 30, 2015 i'm so disappointed, i was so excited for this recipe. but i see it didn't work out =(.
Natalya DrozhzhinNov 1, 2015 Sorry it's didn't work out for you. What went wrong?
tiffanyNov 1, 2015 hi, what i meant was i thought you were going to post a bread & buttered pickles in a jar recipe but i see it didn't work out.
Natalya DrozhzhinNov 1, 2015 Oh lol, I see 🙂 Yeah, I work full time now. Hard to do more complicated recipes.
liliyanaFeb 7, 2015 =) me too, hi i would love the bread & butter pickles recipe also, i just followed you on pinterest so hopefully if you ever do i will be able to pin it right away. that is so wonderful.
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 7, 2015 Hey!! Thanks for a follow ;)) I will definitely share it when they are in season. Thanks again!
tiffanyFeb 3, 2015 YOU ARE AWESOME...i love bread & buttered pickles in a jar but they're expensive from the store & my mom rarely buys them so i suggested to her to make them but i need a step by step directions & i know your website is the best but i you don't have this recipe on here so i thought i ask & hopefully you maybe post it one day..thank you very much.
Natalya DrozhzhinFeb 4, 2015 I will keep it in mind for the summer, for sure. Mom has a garden with cucumbers and she has an endless amount of them. 🙂
OlyaAug 22, 2013 How long can these sit in the fridge and still taste good?
Natalya DrozhzhinAug 22, 2013 I think for a little over a week is good.
TonyaAug 11, 2021 I thought the description above said up to four months in the refrigerator? Did I read that wrong?
Natalya DrozhzhinAug 12, 2021 Hey Tonya, it can stay for a few months if you keep them refrigerated. The only thing, they really get that strong pickling flavor. First few weeks, they have a fresh & pickled flavors at the same time.
Lea BratAug 20, 2013 These do sound delicious. I am at my sisters now and she has a lot of cukes in her garden. Need to try your recipe asap:) I just post fresh cucumber subs on my blog. I just love cucumbers!!!
Natasha (@Natasha's Kitchen)Aug 6, 2013 I love refrigerated pickles, I just had some at mom's house...something about the flavor that never gets old :). She grows horseradish in her garden so we add some roots in our recipe for extra crunchiness.
Natalya DrozhzhinAug 7, 2013 Yeah, I saw your recipe. This pickles also come out crunchy but one day when I find horseradish I will try your recipe.
irynaAug 2, 2013 My Family loves these type of pickles....Iryna.
Natalya DrozhzhinAug 3, 2013 You can't can them for a long time. Here is a pickling recipe for winter, http://momsdish.com/recipe/12…
