Simply the Best Refrigerator Pickles

One summer my garden produced more cucumbers than could ever be eaten! In a desperate attempt to find ways to use every last one of them I stumbled across a recipe for making refrigerator pickles. It sounded simple enough so I gave it a shot. Fifty jars (yes.. 50 jars) of pickles later I had the recipe memorized! That summer I shared pickles with everyone I knew and saved enough jars in the refrigerator for the entire winter. These are the simply the best pickles, however, they come with a warning – once you try one you won’t ever be able to eat store bought pickles again!

One exciting thing about growing a garden is never knowing what you are going to end up throughout the growing season. Some years I’ve ended up with a ton of zucchini and other years only a few. Occasionally I get tons tomatoes and end up with a freezer full of salsa and marinara sauce. Whatever it is, I will figure out a way to make sure nothing goes to waste. I literally can’t waste food so when I have an abundance of any vegetable, I find a way to preserve it for the off season.

One summer it was cucumbers! We must have had the perfect growing conditions that year because out of a small garden box I was picking 2-4 cucumbers a day! There is no way to consume this many cucumbers and my family was getting tired of cucumber salad and snacking on cucumbers with hummus. Searching for an answer to my problem I read about making pickles. It sounded like quite a process. Creating a brine and there were gallon buckets somehow involved. Overall it looked like way too much work. So I kept researching and along the way I stumbled across a recipe that literally took 10 minutes to make a jar of the best pickles EVER!

Somewhere the little piece of scrap paper sits with the original recipe written down. Of course, I changed it and never needed it again because it was so ingrained in my head. Remember I made 50 jars of pickles that summer! Thinking I had cracked the code when it came to growing cucumbers, I was ready the following year for another bumper crop. Well, you guessed it… I had ran out of cucumber luck and had only a few, even after replanting several times. The plants just never took off and our growing season was over before they began producing.

I am excited to say that this year looks to be another good one for cucumbers! Its only July and I have already picked a few (the 1st one is pictured below). Things are looking good for making pickles this summer. I’ve already made my first jar and am so excited to share this simple recipe with you. These are fun to make and ready to eat in only 24 hours.

Here is all you need to make pickles:

• Organic Cucumbers (the fresher the better)
• Organic Onion
• Organic Garlic
• Whole Black Peppercorns
• Organic Dill SEED
• Sea Salt (pink or white)
• Vinegar
• Filtered or Spring Water
• Quart or Pint size glass jars and secure lids

Benefits of These Ingredients

Cucumbers are hydrating and contain both protein and fiber along with vitamins and minerals like potassium. They are also full of antioxidants and aid in blood sugar regulation. Cucumbers are also good for your skin and bones. When we add vinegar and ferment the cucumbers – turning them into pickles – we get added health benefits for our gut. Pickles contain probiotics (good bacteria) that help us maintain a healthy gut. Pickle juice is full of electrolytes as well. Not sure I could ever drink it though…

Onions are good for digestion and are full of antioxidants. Just like cucumbers, they are also good for your bones. Onions contain fiber and are considered a prebiotic, which are plant fibers that help feed the good bacteria in probiotics. It’s important to eat both prebiotics and probiotics. Your gut will thank you… and so will your brain. After all, they are connected!

Another beneficial ingredient in this pickle recipe is garlic. Garlic has long been known for its medicinal uses. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps to boost your immunity. It’s also good for blood sugar regulation (like the cucumber). Oh, and I can’t forget to mention dill. It also aids with digestion, helps reduce bloating, and is full of vitamins and minerals.

There are 3 kinds of dill available for making pickles… Dill Seed, Dill Weed, and the Dill Flower. For this recipe I use Dill Seed. Make sure you purchase the seeds. Someone told me the best pickles were made with the flower on the dill plant, however, I have tried this and have to disagree. Dill Weed is the tiny leaves on the plant and although there are recipes out that that call for it, I didn’t enjoy these pickles as much either.

I have experimented with all 3 of these options and feel like the best refrigerator pickles are made with the seeds. They are easier to work with and also shelf stable. You can find them in the spice section at the grocery store. If you are up for the challenge you can grow your own by letting the flowers on your dill plant go to seed. I have done this in years past, however, it is quite a tedious task picking off all the tiny seeds!

Mix all these beneficial ingredients together along with some spices and vinegar and you get a pretty powerful pickle! These contain prebiotics and probiotics for gut health too. This recipe is simple and there is no brining or canning involved. No boiling water either.

Don’t have a garden??? No problem. Buy fresh Organic Cucumbers from a local farmers market or farm. Freshly picked cucumbers make the best pickles. Pickling cucumbers tend to be on the smaller side but since we are slicing these it really doesn’t matter too much which kind of cucumber you purchase. Make sure you buy extra cucumbers because these pickles won’t last! I have to confess that the summer my garden didn’t produce enough cucumbers I had to buy some from the local farmers market. I made sure they were organic and still ended up with pickles that were superior in taste over store bought jars.

Ok, hopefully I have sold you on the idea of making your own pickles! This is such an easy recipe and it simply makes the best jar of refrigerator dill pickles. You can, however, turn them into sweet pickles by adding sugar or spicy pickles by adding jalapeno or habanero peppers to the jar. I always recommend making the first batch following the recipe and then go from there to create your own version.

Phew…let’s get started. Begin by slicing organic cucumbers into thin equal size slices. Also, thinly slice 1/2 of a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Make sure you slice the garlic cloves. Garlic that is left whole isn’t able to release its amazing flavor! Once you have the cucumbers, onions, and garlic sliced, add 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons of sea salt (White or Pink Himalayan) to the bottom of a pint or quart size glass jar.

If you aren’t sure what size jar you will need, as a general rule of thumb, a quart size jar works great and its ok if its not full to the top. You want a little room in the jar to be able to shake it up, so don’t pack it too tight. Of course, you can also fill 2 pint size jars and share a jar of pickles with a friend or neighbor.

After the Sea Salt, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of Dill Seed, 10 Whole Peppercorns, and a 1/2 cup of Vinegar (this should fill the jar 1/4-1/3 of the way full). If not, adjust accordingly. Next, add a few onion slices and garlic slices to the liquid and swirl around to help start to dissolve some of the salt.

Fill the jar about 1/2 way full of cucumber slices and then add the remaining onion and garlic slices. Finish filling the jar with the remaining cucumbers. Press the cucumbers down and fill the jar with fresh spring or filtered room temperature water. Make sure the liquid covers all the ingredients. Notice how the dill seed and onions are floating on top of the sliced cucumbers in the above picture? That’s perfect!

Securely attached the lid and give the jar a few shakes to really distribute the salt and dill seed throughout the jar. Then open it to make sure all the slices are still under the liquid. If not, add more water. Label the jar with the date and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Pickles are perfectly done the next day and ready to eat!

The year I made 50 jars of pickles I discovered that these in fact do make it all winter in the refrigerator. Most likely due to the amount of salt in the brine. I have also known a few families that have eaten a jar in less than a day! So either way works. The pickled onions in the jar are edible too and great on sandwiches.

Below you will find my recipe for making Simply the Best Refrigerator Pickles at home. As always, I encourage you to use this recipe as inspiration to create your own homemade pickle creations. Remember you can always change the seasoning and make them sweet or spicy:)

Remember to be creative with your food. It doesn’t have to be complicated and there is inspiration all around you. If you haven’t tried making homemade pickles, what are you waiting for?

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