I’m a huge pickle lover and extremely selective about the pickles I’ll eat, so when I tell you these are the best refrigerator sweet pickles, I mean it. They’re crisp, tangy and perfectly sweet, with sliced onion and an optional jalapeño or serrano pepper for a little kick.
I first made this recipe after a friend gave me a huge bag of cucumbers from her summer garden. Turning that fresh July and August harvest into two jars of homemade pickles felt a little magical.. and once I tasted them, I knew this recipe was a keeper.
What makes these particular pickles worth trying is their almost ridiculous ease-to-deliciousness ratio. In about 15 minutes, fresh cucumbers and a simple stovetop brine become the kind of pickles you’ll keep sneaking straight from the jar.. no canning equipment or complicated process required.
This recipe fills two 1-quart jars and the pickles are ready to eat after just 1 hour in the refrigerator. They become even more flavorful after 24 hours and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.. but fair warning: waiting is the hardest part.
These are delicious straight from the jar, but they’re also perfect for turning into homemade dill pickle relish or serving with sandwiches, burgers and summer cookout favorites.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy: These sweet pickles take about 15 minutes to prepare and can be enjoyed after just 1 hour of chilling.
- No canning required: You don’t need special equipment or a water bath. These are quick refrigerator pickles designed to be stored in the fridge.
- Crisp, sweet and tangy: Apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, sugar and pickling spices create a flavorful brine that balances sweetness with plenty of tang.
- Easy to customize: Add sliced jalapeño or serrano pepper for a subtle kick, or leave it out for classic sweet pickles.
- Perfect for a cucumber harvest: The recipe uses 6 cups of sliced cucumbers and fills two 1-quart jars.
Recipe Ingredients
Cucumbers – Use 6 cups of cucumbers cut into 1/8 to 1/4-inch rounds. Fresh garden, Persian or small pickling cucumbers will produce the crispest results, but regular slicing cucumbers work well too.
Onion – Yellow, white or red onion may be used. Yellow onion gives the pickles a classic flavor, while red onion adds a little color.
Hot pepper – Add a sliced jalapeño or serrano pepper for a subtle kick, or leave it out completely for classic sweet pickles. Remove the seeds and membranes for less heat.
Vinegar – A combination of 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup white vinegar gives the brine a balanced sweet-and-tangy flavor. For the best and safest results, use vinegar labeled 5% acidity.
Pickling spice – Use a prepared pickling spice blend or replace the 2 tablespoons with 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed and 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed.
Sugar – Granulated sugar gives these refrigerator pickles their signature sweetness and balances the acidity of the vinegar.
Kosher salt – Salt seasons the brine and helps draw flavor into the cucumbers. Avoid iodized table salt, which can make pickle brine cloudy.
How To Make Sweet Refrigerator Pickles
- Slice the vegetables. Cut the cucumbers into approximately 1/8- to 1/4-inch rounds and thinly slice the onion and optional hot pepper.
- Fill the jars. Divide the cucumbers, onion and optional hot pepper evenly between two clean 1-quart mason jars, packing everything in snugly.
- Make the sweet pickle brine. Combine the sugar, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, water, pickling spice and kosher salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the brine. Carefully divide the hot brine between the two jars. Gently press the cucumbers down as needed so they are completely submerged.
- Let the flavor develop. Refrigerate the pickles for at least 1 hour before eating. They’re even better after 24 hours, once the cucumbers have absorbed more of that sweet-and-tangy flavor.
Recipe Notes
- Keep them refrigerated – These are refrigerator pickles, not shelf-stable canned pickles. Use clean jars and store them in the refrigerator throughout the entire storage period. There is no need to sterilize the jars or wait for the lids to seal.
- Add a little heat – Jalapeño or serrano pepper adds a subtle kick without making the pickles overwhelmingly spicy. For more heat, add extra hot pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Keep the cucumbers submerged – Pack the jars snugly and gently press the cucumbers beneath the brine as needed. The vegetables should remain submerged during refrigeration.
- Make sweet pickle relish – Finely chop the finished pickles and onion to create a quick homemade relish. Serve it on hot dogs, burgers and sandwiches.
- Serving ideas – Enjoy these pickles straight from the jar or serve them with burgers, sandwiches, pork chops, cheese and crackers or a summer cookout spread.
How Long Can Pickles Last Unrefrigerated
Wondering whether a jar of pickles left on the counter is still safe to eat? Learn how long pickles can sit out, when they need to be refrigerated and the signs that it’s time to toss them.
Refrigerator Sweet Pickles FAQs
Store these pickles tightly covered in the refrigerator and enjoy them within 2 weeks. Keep the cucumbers submerged in the brine and discard the batch if you notice mold, an unpleasant odor, sliminess or other signs of spoilage.
These sweet pickles can be eaten after 1 hour in the refrigerator, but they taste even better after chilling for 24 hours. The longer rest gives the cucumbers time to absorb more of the sweet-and-tangy brine.
Small pickling cucumbers, Persian cucumbers and fresh garden cucumbers produce the crispest pickles because they have thin skins and fewer seeds. Regular slicing cucumbers work too, especially when they are firm and freshly purchased.
Start with very fresh, firm cucumbers and avoid any that are soft, wrinkled or overripe. Pickling cucumbers and Persian cucumbers generally stay crisper than large slicing cucumbers. Slice them evenly, refrigerate the pickles once the jars are no longer hot and keep the cucumbers submerged in the brine.
No. This recipe is designed for refrigerator storage and has not been tested for water-bath canning. The jars must remain refrigerated. If you want shelf-stable sweet pickles, use a research-tested canning recipe from a trusted source.
I would not reuse the brine to make another full batch of pickles because the cucumbers release water and alter its acidity and flavor. Once the pickles are gone, discard the brine.
More Ways To Use Pickles
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Refrigerator Sweet Pickles
Ingredients
- 6 cups cucumbers cut into approximately 1/8- to 1/4-inch rounds
- 1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper sliced (optional)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar 5% acidity
- 1/2 cup white vinegar 5% acidity
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp pickling spice substitution: 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds and 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Divide the sliced cucumbers, onion and optional hot pepper evenly between two clean 1-quart mason jars. Pack the vegetables snugly into the jars.
- Combine the sugar, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, water, pickling spice and kosher salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Carefully divide the hot brine evenly between the two jars. Gently press the cucumbers down as needed so they are completely submerged.
- Allow the jars to cool at room temperature until they are no longer hot. Secure the lids and transfer the jars to the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. For the best flavor, allow the pickles to chill for 24 hours.
Notes
- Pickling spice substitute: Replace the 2 tablespoons pickling spice with 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed and 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed.
- Keep refrigerated: These are refrigerator pickles and have not been processed for shelf-stable storage. Keep them refrigerated and enjoy them within 2 weeks.
- Use fresh cucumbers: Firm garden, Persian or small pickling cucumbers generally produce the crispest results. Avoid cucumbers that are soft, wrinkled or overripe.
- Slice evenly: The rounds don’t need to be an exact thickness, but keeping them between 1/8 and 1/4 inch and slicing them uniformly will help them pickle evenly.
- Adjust the heat: Remove the seeds and membranes from the hot pepper for less heat. For spicier pickles, add another pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Keep them submerged: Pack the jars snugly and keep the cucumbers beneath the brine during storage.
- Make relish: Finely chop the finished pickles and onions to make an easy homemade sweet pickle relish.
- Not for canning: This recipe is intended only for refrigerator storage. Use a research-tested canning recipe for shelf-stable pickles.For the crispest, most flavorful pickles, start with very fresh, firm cucumbers and let them chill in the brine for a full 24 hours before serving.
Nutrition
Megan Porta is a comfort food recipe creator who specializes in easy family meals and Instant Pot desserts, and the founder of Pip and Ebby. She has been cooking for three decades and developing recipes for over fifteen years, helping home cooks make reliable, cozy recipes for real life.
Just made this week. They were exactly what I was looking for and taste just like what my mom used to make but much easier. I don’t like to canned with hot water bath and that kind of stuff. The only change I would make it’s just a little bit less salt and next time I’ll put the pickling spices in cheesecloth because I hate them being in my pickles but I love the flavor.
Thank you, Maryjo for sharing! Those are great tweaks that you and anybody else can do to make it to what you love about pickles.
Hello Megan, I first made your pickle recipe in August 2020, they were delicious. I sent a bottle to folks in Cape Breton, then they requested your recipe, then passed it on to her relative in western Canada. That’s what happens to great recipes.
I am making a batch right now. These are a must have during the winter months so I will can at least 6 jars. I absolutely love these with a tasty grilled cheese sandwich. Thank you for sharing Megan.
Thank you, Darlene! I appreciate you sharing them and letting me know. I now want a grilled cheese sandwich with pickles too. 🙂
Hi Megan this Cathy, I tried the pickles with out the salt and they are delicious…you can’t tell the salt is missing…I can’t eat pickles from the store so this will be my pickle recipe..Thank you.
Hi I’m Cathy..I want to give these a try, but I can’t do salt I have to cut it out will they be good without the salt.
Cathy – I have never prepared pickles without salt but you could try cutting the 1 tbsp down in half and then taste them. I imagine they will still be delicious! You can let us know how they turn out!
I had 2 cucumber plants that came up free will, thank goodness…3 unsuccessful seed sowings…WELL these 2 plants have produced about 40 lbs of cucumbers….I have made several batches of this Quick Sweet PIckle…OH MY GOSH…bombdiggity…I do not eat pickles on a burger, sandwich or anything…I cannot get enough of these pickled cukes…I have even made pickle spears….I made a batch of 4 quarts and 1 pint today…hubby loves the pickled onions best, I use purple and doubled it…I also have 3 kinds of peppers growing in the garden, jalapeno, banana and shishito…those go in there also….We usually let them sit for about 5 days…Best new recipe of 2020 for me….
That is awesome! Imagine if the others had produced cucs too! Thank you for sharing your findings and how you enjoyed them.
Yes, Tammy, definitely! Seal with hot jars/lids if you wish for these to sit on the shelf. Hopefully the instructions under number 4 in the recipe above helps!
Megan
Can these be canned then after they are made for a LONGER shelf life!!