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Pickle chips are essential for hamburgers and sandwiches. Did you know that you can easily make them yourself at home?
With this method for refrigerator pickles, you don’t need to get out the canning equipment or have any special pickling know-how.
They’re made with a simple brine and pickle in just 24 hours right in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to a month — if they last that long!
You can make your own pickling spice blend, or use a store-bought blend. If you go store-bought, my favorite brand is Spicely Organic Pickling Seasoning, and it includes mustard seeds, dill seeds, bay leaves, coriander and other common pickling spices.
I also love seasoning them with whole cumin seeds, garlic, red pepper flakes for kick, or even a blend like panch phoron (a pungent Bengali five-spice mix). Really, you can use whatever whole spice blend you prefer.
Since we’re not actually canning these pickles, you can make and store them in any glass container. Any container with a tight-fitting lid will do.
I like to use canning jars, but I replace the metal lids and bands with plastic lids. These lids are much easier to take on and off, and you don’t have to fumble with two pieces each time you open the jar.
How to Make Easy Refrigerator Pickles
You can use this method to make pickle spears as well! They'll need to pickle for 2 to 3 days in the fridge before they're ready.
As is, the recipe makes a fairly sweet pickle. You can cut the sugar in half for a more sour and tart pickle, if desired.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Kirby or other small cucumbers
- 1 small sweet yellow onion
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pickling spice, homemade or store-bought
Special equipment:
- 2 wide-mouth pint canning jars
- Canning jar lids, plastic or metal
- Mandoline, or sharp knife
- Canning funnel (helpful, but not essential)
Method
1 Wash and dry the jars and cucumbers: Wash 2 wide-mouth pint jars and their lids in hot, soapy water. Set them aside to dry.
Rinse the cucumbers well under cold water, pat them dry, and then set them on a towel to dry completely.
2 Slice the cucumbers and onion, then pack them in the jars: With a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer, slice the cucumbers and onion into slices 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick.
Firmly pack the cucumbers and onions into the jars, fitting in as many as you can without smashing the vegetables. Leave 1/2-inch or so of headspace at the top of the jars.
3 Make the brine: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pickling spice up to a simmer. Stir occasionally and continue simmering until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
4 Pour the brine over the vegetables: If you have a canning funnel, use it here to make it easier to fill the jars. Carefully pour or ladle the hot brine into each jar, filling the jars until the cucumbers and onions are covered. It's ok if a few small pieces poke out the top.
5 Cool and refrigerate for 24 hours: Screw on the lids, then let the jars cool to room temperature (about an hour). The cucumbers will start off bright green, but will become darker and more "pickle-colored" as they cool.
Place them in the refrigerator. Wait at least 24 hours before eating the pickles in order to let the flavors develop. Use them within one month.
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Author of The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook and The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook. A self-taught cook and classically-trained soprano, Coco Morante writes and sings in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her husband and their beagle. For more recipes, visit her blog, Lefty Spoon.
How to Make Easy Refrigerator Pickles
from other experience making sauerkraut, after slicing the cucumbers, I salted them (kosher salt) and left them in a covered bowl to draw off moisture – you can get quite a lot. then rinse the slices and follow recipe as above. they seem to me they come out a little crisper this way.
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Is it possible to do this using whole, small or mini cucumbers instead of slicing large ones?
Hi, Christine! Yes, I think other cucumbers would work fine in this recipe. Let us know how it goes!
Looks like a winner. . . . .I wonder if you have a recipe for pickled sausages and hard boiled eggs?? . . . . .Years ago (too many) I could get them in bars in Florida, and I think they were made under a name such as MAX’s Pickled Sausages ????????. . . I enjoy the recipes very much, but don’t do much cooking anymore as we live in an apartment, now. .
Thank you very much for your prompt response. . . . .
Hi, Howard! We’ll have to look into pickled sausages — that’s a new one for me. But check out our recipe for Pickled Eggs right here!
If you don’t have pickling spice, what do you suggest using?
I always go for mustard seeds, bay leaves, and peppercorns. You can also add cloves (one per jar is enough I think) or allspice.
Hi, Susie! You can make your own blend of spices, if you like. Here’s our recipe: Basic Pickling Spice Blend.
Thanks for the inspiration! I’m making these tonight. One question… Where’s the garlic:)
Hi, Jon! You can definitely add garlic if you like! Smash 2 to 3 cloves and add them along with the cucumbers and onions.
This will be my 1st attempt at making my own pickles. I’m excited.