Grandma's No Cook Refrigerator Pickles. Sweet and tangy with a delightful celery accent. Not like any pickle you have eaten. And, of course, no need to turn your kitchen into a sweat room.
Easy No Cook Refrigerator Pickles
Making these icebox pickles is easy, but you have to wait a few days to eat them.
One day when I stopped by my neighbor Diane Bayer's house, she was in the middle of making No Cook Refrigerator Pickles, a recipe she got from an older woman in her church. A few days later (after they aged) I tried them. Wow! De-LISH-ous! They are sweeter than a bread and butter pickle and tangier than sweet pickles, with a flavor all their own.
Diane gave me the recipe and I went home and made some. And I've been making them ever since. homemade pickles are so much better than canned pickles!
Take a look at the no-cook refrigerator pickle recipe video
Watch the WHSV TV3 video of me telling Bob Corso on the 1-on-1 Program how to make these pickles.
Reuse & recycle the pickle juice
The recipe is SO EASY and the pickles keep indefinitely in the fridge. Not only that, but when you finish all the pickles, you can use the juice again to make another batch. Wowie!
Use other veggies too
The last time I made these pickles, I made some with green beans, too. You make them exactly the same, except you have to blanch the beans before you put them in the jar. Try it! Quick pickles will become household favorites 🙂
Other veggies you can pickle this way:
- carrots
- parsnips
- cauliflower
- peppers
- beets
- etc.
Ingredients for easy no-cook refrigerator pickles
This recipe only calls for 6 ingredients and can easily be multiplied if you have an abundance of cucumbers, or your family just loves pickles with every meal 😉
- cucumbers
- onion (I used a yellow onion, but you can use red onion and even sweet onion: whatever you have on hand)
- white vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can work too, but I like the white vinegar)
- granulated sugar
- iodized salt
- celery seeds
This recipe is very basic, and it works well that way. But, if you want to play with your spices, here are some ideas. And feel free to experiment with other spices and herbs you love (or grow in your garden).
- add a few pepper flakes or garlic cloves for spicier pickles
- mustard seeds
- bay leaves
- black peppercorns
- fresh dill sprigs (dry works too, but fresh looks much better in your jar)
Tools you need to make these fridge pickles
- a knife (or one of these mandoline slicers if you want your pickles sliced up faster and more uniform)
- cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
- a large jar to store your pickles
- a funnel would also be helpful.
- but what you really want is a good dish to serve them. Am I right?
How to make icebox pickles
Simple, simple, simple. Just 6 ingredients.
- Slice the cucumbers and onions.
- Put them in a large glass container with a plastic lid (like these).
- Mix the vinegar dressing and pour it over the veggies.
- Refrigerate for three or more days, turning the jar over every once in a while.
Don is delighted. His mom used to make pickles like these, and he loves them. You will need some covered half-gallon jars or something to make and store them in.
What to serve these pickles with?
Now that you made pickles, how can you use them? what other foods can you pair them with?
Well, U love them as a low-calorie snack, so maybe give that a try. But they also go well with:
- soups
- burgers
- potato salad
- wraps
- sandwiches
Grandma's No Cook Refrigerator Pickle Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 cups medium-sliced cucumbers about 4 large
- 1 medium yellow onion (or use red onions for more color) sliced in half rings
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 4 cups sugar
- ¼ cup salt
- 2 tablespoons celery seed
Instructions
- Combine the cucumber slices and the onion slices in a half-gallon jar or container with a leak-proof cover.
- In a bowl, mix the vinegar, salt, sugar and celery seed until the sugar dissolves.
- Let the vinegar mixture stand about a half hour.
- Pour this mixture over the pickles and onion slices.
- Tightly cover the jar or container and refrigerate. Turn the jar over periodically (once or twice a day) to mix the ingredients, and let age for 3 days or a week to enhance flavor.
Kristin Gettle
Our family found it hard to wait until Day 5. I made my second batch today because they disappeared immediately.
Lois
Super! Don loves these pickles.
Juliana Leo
I haven't made these yet, but the recipe sounds wonderful. I've already shared it with a friend of mine on Facebook!
Lois
I hope you love them.
Kathhy
what type of salt do you use kosher or table?
Lois Crawford
I use sea salt, but kosher is fine too as long as it’s not the huge kind.
Kathy
ThankYou
Lois Crawford
My pleasure. I hope you enjoy them. We do!
Susan A
Do you have to include onions?
Adriana
You don't have to, but they are nice together 🙂
Amy
Just made these for the first time. Was very nervous that I was misunderstanding the recipe because of how much sugar it calls for, but was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the brine! Looking forward to using this recipe for years to come.
Adriana
Yes, it "seems" like it's too much sugar, but it makes delicious pickles! So glad you gave it a try and ended up loving it!
Kathy Highfill
I am on a Low SodiumDiet and wonder if I can reduce the amount of salt by half and get the same results? Thank you ? Kathy
Adriana
I don't know for sure. I'd try it though. Might not taste the same, but probably still good.
Jodi
Has anyone tried adding any hot peppers or crushed pepper flakes to these? I love refrigerator pickles but was hoping to add a little spice to them.
Adriana
You can definitely add some heat. Try a small jar first, to make sure you like it. But I'd experiment and have fun with it 🙂
Damien
How long do these last? I have read that the sugar (even in vinegar) will start to grow bacteria after a few days and shouldn't be kept longer than that without boiling the solution. Any thoughts?
Adriana
They last 4 to 6 weeks in the fridge.
Moira
I made these yesterday and doubled it. I also was nervous about the sugar as it looked so thick and syrupy.
I’m not sure what will happen l, but I did play with the herbs quite a bit. I suppose time will tell. I added mustard seeds, black peppercorns and chili flakes. I added a clove of garlic and bay leaf to each jar.
I’ll let you know when I get to try them. I’m surprised they will only last for 4-6 weeks as stated in another comment.