Paraben Free Quick Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Crunchy, garlicky, and packed with fresh dill flavor, these refrigerator pickles are the kind of snack you'll find yourself reaching for straight from the jar. What makes them such a smart choice is how clean and straightforward every single ingredient is ā cucumbers, garlic, fresh dill, a handful of spices, and a simple vinegar brine with kosher salt and sugar. No preservatives, no additives, no mystery stabilizers hiding in a store-bought label. For anyone navigating paraben concerns, that kind of full ingredient transparency is genuinely hard to find in a jarred pickle at the grocery store. The technique is simple: pack your jars, pour over a hot brine, cool, and refrigerate. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber is a smart little trick that keeps the texture satisfyingly crisp rather than soft and mushy. Give them 48 to 72 hours in the fridge and you'll have deeply tangy, boldly seasoned spears that put anything shelf-stable to shame.
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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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