Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles

Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles

Serves: 4 quarts
Cooking Time: 35 minutes, 2 weeks refrigeration
Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 cup white or cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup pickling salt
  • 3 to 4 pounds of cucumbers - small pickling ones are best
  • 8 large heads of dill, or more if they are smaller
  • 2 to 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seed
  • 1 to 4 pinches red pepper flakes

Instructions

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Have you ever thought about making your pickles? Because you should! And this Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles recipe is perfect! This will make about 4 quarts of pickles, so you need 4 1 quart jars with lids, or more if they are smaller. You don't need canning jars, but you do need a jar with a lid!
  1. Measure the water, vinegar, and salt into a 3-quart saucepan and set over high heat - you want the salt to dissolve and the mixture to come to a full boil.
  2. Meanwhile, make sure your cucumbers are good and clean. Cut them however you like - the smaller the pieces, the more that will fit in a jar. Spears are pretty to serve, though if you end up with a lot of odd-sized cucumbers, chunks may work better.
  3. In the bottom of each jar, place 1 large head of dill, or several smaller ones. You can also put in some of the fronds and stems. Then put 1 garlic clove in the bottom. Fill each jar with cucumbers - for spears, it might be easier to lay the jar on its side. You can cram them in there tightly, but leave a good inch of headspace at the top, so that the brine will be able to cover the pickles.
  4. Top the cucumbers in the jars with another clove of garlic, as well as another large head of dill. For more flavor, add mustard seed, red pepper flake, and 5 peppercorns to each jar.
  5. Carefully fill each jar with the boiling water/vinegar/salt mixture, making sure to get the cucumbers completely covered. Screw on the lids.
  6. Leave the jars out on the counter for 2 or 3 days, and then store them in the refrigerator for at least two weeks before opening. They will keep well for several months at least, as long as you keep them refrigerated. Naturally, if anything looks or smells funky, discard them, but honestly, that happens very rarely. After two weeks, serve Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles and enjoy!