Citric Acid Free Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Crunchy, garlicky, and loaded with fresh dill, these refrigerator pickles deliver everything you want from a classic dill spear without any of the additives that make store-bought jars a problem for people avoiding citric acid. Most commercial pickles sneak it in as a preservative, so making your own is genuinely the easiest workaround. The brine here is beautifully simple ā distilled white vinegar, water, kosher salt, and a touch of sugar ā so you know exactly what's going into every jar. Packing in smashed garlic, fresh dill sprigs, black peppercorns, and mustard seeds means the flavor is anything but plain. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber before packing is a small step that makes a real difference, keeping the spears firm and snappy rather than soft. After just 24 hours in the fridge they're lightly tangy and ready to eat, though waiting the full 48 to 72 hours rewards you with a deeper, more complex pickle flavor that's hard to stop snacking on.
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Learn more āIngredients
8 servings
- 2 lbs pickling cucumbers (about 8ā10 small)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 bunch fresh dill (about 6ā8 sprigs)
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Ā½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
For the brine
- 1 Ā½ cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 Ā½ cups water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- 1
Trim 1/8 inch off the blossom end (the end opposite the stem) of each cucumber ā this removes enzymes that can soften the pickles. Cut the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters to make spears, or slice into 1/4-inch rounds if you prefer chips.
- 2
Divide the garlic, dill sprigs, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes (if using) evenly between two clean wide-mouth quart mason jars. Pack the cucumber spears in vertically, fitting them snugly.
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