Refrigerator Pickles

These refrigerator pickles are the gateway recipe for anyone who has ever wanted to make their own pickles but thought it sounded too difficult. This version takes about 20 minutes of active work and creates crisp, deeply flavorful pickles that are ready the next day. Pack your vegetables tight into jars with fresh dill, garlic, and a brine made with Celtic Sea Salt®.

I share about and partner with only the most fabulous brands. The wonderful folks at Celtic Sea Salt® sponsored this blog post and the recipe that goes with it.

A Note from Teri on Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator pickles are a favorite treat of mine. If you’ve ever wanted to dip your toe in the pickling pond, this is the way to do it. It is easy and the result is nearly immediate. The brilliant thing is you can use any vegetables that you love to pickle. Use what I suggested, or try some new ones.

What I love about our recipe is that you do not need any special equipment. The fantastic brine is what makes these pickles so fabulous. So all you need are a few simple ingredients and the patience to wait a day before diving in!

The key to the brine is absolutely Celtic Sea Salt®. In a preparation as simple as a brine, the salt is everything. Using something as high quality as this is crucial to make your pickles as delicious as they can be.

These pickles are perfect in any moment, whether it’s on a burger or on a platter with this gravlax. You will never be sad to have these in your fridge.

Why Celtic Sea Salt® Makes the Best Refrigerator Pickles

Salt is not just a seasoning in a pickle brine; it is the foundational ingredient. It preserves the vegetables and deepens the flavors of the spices.

Celtic Sea Salt® has been trusted by generations of chefs and home cooks for decades. It contains a naturally-occurring vital mineral blend and is free of chemical additives. You absolutely taste the difference. Standard table salt is heavily processed and stripped of those minerals that give salt its complexity. Celtic Sea Salt® retains the minerals, which means this pickle brine has a much deeper flavor that you cannot achieve with a more refined salt.

What Vegetables Work Best for Refrigerator Pickles

• Kirby cucumbers – the classic pickling cucumber, with a thin skin and firmer flesh that stays crisp in the brine. Regular English cucumbers work but they are not as crisp after pickling.
• Carrots – one of the best pickling vegetables. They stay crisp and absorb the brine deeply. Peel and cut into long strips or halve lengthwise.
• French green beans – keep them whole, with ends trimmed. They pickle quickly and stay crispy.
• Cauliflower – cut into small florets. Cauliflower is not as common, but it is so delicious when pickled. It absorbs the brine well and becomes deeply flavored.
• Radishes – They add a beautiful color to the jar and their peppery flavor mellows a bit in the brine.
• Red peppers – sliced into strips. They add color and a bit of sweetness that balances out the brine.
• Chilis or jalapeños – sliced into rounds or halved. They add heat to the brine that distributes throughout the other vegetables. Add as much or as little as you would like.

Ingredients for Pickling Brine

• Garlic – I like to soften the flavor of the garlic by cooking in simmering water before the vinegar and salt go in. One cooked clove goes into each jar to continue to flavor the pickles as they chill.
• White vinegar – the primary preservative that also gives the pickles a bright acidity. White vinegar gives a more neutral acidity than apple cider vinegar, which lets the garlic and spice flavors shine.
• Celtic Sea Salt® – the core seasoning of the brine and the ingredient that makes these pickles taste truly extraordinary. Celtic Kosher™ or Celtic Fine Ground™ are both ideal here.
• Fresh dill – a full bunch, divided between the jars. Fresh dill adds the classic dill pickle flavor. Pack a few sprigs into each jar before the vegetables go in.
• Celery seeds – this spice adds a subtle, savory celery flavor that deepens in the brine.
• Coriander seeds – they add a floral flavor to the brine that makes it feel a little complex.
• Mustard seeds – mustard seeds add a gentle heat and a bitterness that completes the pickle brine.
• Peppercorns, black, pink, or mixed – peppercorns give that final depth of flavor that you want in your pickles.

How to Make Refrigerator Pickles

Step One: Create the Brine

Create a brine by bringing 6 cups of water to a boil, reduce the heat so the water simmers and add the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes then add the vinegar and salt and raise the heat to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. 

While the water is coming up to a boil, place a few sprigs of dill in each of the jars. Divide the seeds and peppercorns between the jars. 

Step Two: Add the Vegetables

Pack the jars with the vegetables like a Christmas Stocking. I make a game by moving, adding, cutting and stuffing to try and get something in every crevice of the jar. If the cucumber spears or carrot sticks are too tall for your jars, trim them so that they are a bit shorter than your jar height. 

When the brine is at a boil, place a garlic clove from the brine into each jar then ladle the brine into the jars over the vegetables, covering them completely. Let cool then top the jars and place in the refrigerator overnight or for a couple of days. Pickles keep for 2-4 weeks.

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