a simply GRAND recipe! our refrigerator pickles!

2 hours ago
5 min read

Friday, August 14, 2026

Okay, we know…it may sound a bit hokey,

but we truly hope that your day is off to a good start!

And what better way to make a day a little more DILL-lightful

than with a jar of homemade refrigerator pickles?

There’s just something special about a recipe

that is simple, delicious, and meant to be shared!

Laura’s recipe for refrigerator pickles combines

crisp cucumbers, colorful red onion, fresh dill, and a sweet-and-tangy brine

with just the right blend of spices.

And, because there’s no canning involved,

they’re wonderfully easy to make and you can enjoy them within a day or two!

As a bonus,

we’re providing a few of our favorite flavor combinations, too,

to change the taste of your pickles in more DILL-lightful ways,

as well as some unexpected ways to serve them!

Isn’t that simply GRAND?

Let's get right to the good stuff!

Grab your cucumbers, gather your ingredients, and let’s make some pickles!

This was a recipe I first tried last summer

when visiting my daughter and her family.

Each year, she has a wonderful garden that always produces A LOT of cucumbers!

This year’s crop is thriving, too!

While our Littles love to eat the cucs straight from the garden,

Daughter J is always looking for new ways to use them!

Can you relate?

Our Refrigerator Pickle Recipe!

This recipe is not only easy, but delicious, too!

Makes: 1 quart jar, 2 pint jars or 4 8 oz jars

Prep: 15 minutes

Refrigerate: At least 24 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound small cucumbers, sliced into rounds or spears

• ½ red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• ½ cup water

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1½ teaspoons sea salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or a few cloves fresh garlic)

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• ½ teaspoon celery seed

• 4–5 sprigs fresh dill, plus a little extra for the jar

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash the cucumbers and slice them into rounds or spears. Thinly slice the red onion.

2. Make the brine. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, turmeric and celery seed. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Do not boil.

3. Carefully pour the warm brine over the vegetables, making sure they are mostly submerged. Let the mixture cool for about 20-30 minutes.

4. Place a few sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of your jar(s). Add the mixture to each jar. Add more dill, as desired.

5. Cover your jar(s) tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. For the best flavor, let the jar(s) sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Enjoy!

These refrigerator pickles will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks…

if they last that long!

One of the fun things about refrigerator pickles

Is that you can use the same basic vinegar/salt/sugar brine

and then create completely different flavors just by changing the spices and herbs.

Plus, as you'll soon discover,

there are so many yummy ways to serve them, too!

Our Favorite Flavor Combinations!

One important note to consider: Because these are refrigerator pickles rather than properly canned pickles, we’d keep the vinegar/salt proportions of the base recipe consistent and experiment primarily with the herbs and spices. That way you're changing the flavor without compromising the pickling environment.

Here are some flavor combinations we love!

🌿 Classic Dill & Garlic Pickles!

Fresh, savory and classic deli-pickles - our favorite!

This recipe is above!

🍋 Lemon-Herb Pickles!

Bright, fresh and summery! Be sure to leave out the turmeric from the recipe to let the lemon and dill really shine! This version would be lovely served with grilled chicken or a Greek salad!

• white wine vinegar (in place of white vinegar)

• 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar (less than the amount in our original recipe)

• Fresh dill

• Dried oregano

• Black peppercorns

• Mustard seeds

• Garlic

• Celery seed

• Fresh lemon zest or lemon peel

🧅 Sweet Onion & Dill PIckles!

Especially good with sandwiches and burgers - you can even omit the cucumbers all together or increase the amount of sugar slightly for a more bead-and-butter-pickle flavor!

• Fresh dill

• Extra red onion

• Mustard seed

• Celery seed

• Black peppercorns

🌶️ Pickled Jalapeño Pickles!

For the spice lovers! You could also add a few thin slices of sweet red bell pepper for added color! For more heat, increase the red pepper flakes or cayenne. For less heat, omit the jalapeños! • Fresh dill

• 1–2 sliced jalapeños

• Garlic

• Mustard seed

• Black peppercorns

• A pinch of red pepper flakes

GRAND Ways to Serve Pickles!

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with eating these pickles straight from the jar!

In fact, we highly recommend it!

But these little bites of sweet, tangy crunch can be so much more than a snack on their own. They’re an easy way to add a pop of flavor, color and crunch to all kinds of meals and appetizers. Many of us are familiar with the traditional ways to serve pickles - on a charcuterie board, in a dip, as a topping to a sandwich or to dress up a salad, when making pickle roll-ups (always a fave!) and as an addition to grilled foods, a salad or deviled eggs! In today’s post, we’ve got some unexpected combinations for you to consider that go beyond sandwiches and cheese boards!

Here are some unique ways to use pickles!