24-Hour Refrigerator Pickles

One day refrigerator pickles

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Brining time: 24 hrs
Total: 24 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Yield: 2 to 3 pints

These crisp and flavorful pickles are ready to eat just 24 hours from when you make them. They will keep in the refrigerator for several months but will have the best texture if eaten within 1 month. If you need to satisfy your pickle craving sooner you can also make smashed pickles.

The basic recipe is for cucumber dill pickles, but you can mix up the spices and the vegetables that you use (see the variations below). Carrots, green or wax beans, and cauliflower all work well in this recipe.​

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups water

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, kosher or non-iodized salt

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 2 small cloves garlic, peeled

  • 2 pounds cucumbers, cut into spears or 1/4-inch thick rounds

  • 2 sprigs dill, or 1 dill flowerhead, or 2 teaspoons dried dill leaves

  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for pickles
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  2. Make a brine by combining the water, vinegar, salt and honey and bringing them to a boil.

    Brine
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  3. Pack two clean glass pint jars with the cucumbers (it is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe). Add one clove of garlic, one sprig of dill, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to each jar as you pack in the cucumbers. Pack the cucumbers (or other vegetables) in tightly - you don't want them to float when you add the brine.

    Cucumbers in jar
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  4. Pour the hot brine over the other ingredients. The vegetables should be completely immersed in the brine. Since these refrigerator pickles will not be canned, it is not necessary to leave head space between the surface of the food and the rims of the jars.

    Pour brine in
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
  5. Fasten lids and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating.

    Fasten lids
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

  • Quick Curried Cauliflower Pickle: Omit the dill. Add 2 teaspoons curry powder to the brine in the first step.
  • Quick Kimchee: Omit the dill and the honey. Use 1 quart of shredded cabbage plus 1 cup of julienned daikon radish instead of the cucumbers. Double the amount of red chile pepper flakes. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 2 tablespoons soy sauce to the brine. Note: traditional kimchi is a fermented food rather than a vinegar pickle, but this version is a good substitute if you're short on time.
  • Quick Bread and Butter-Style Pickles: Use 1/4 cup instead of the 2 tablespoons of honey. Cut the cucumbers into rounds rather than spears. Add 1/4-cup finely sliced white onions. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds and 2 or 3 whole allspice into each pint jar as you load the vegetables.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
8 Calories
0g Fat
2g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 8
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 318mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 48mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)