Refrigerator Dill Pickles Recipe Small Batch

Crisp, dilly, and crunchy these easy refrigerator dill pickles recipe small batch are perfect for if you only have a few cucumbers to pickle.

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We love to use cucumbers for sandwiches, salads, hamburgers, or just for snacking! During the hot summer months, I like to look for ways to eliminate canning wherever possible. It can be quite tricky keeping canned pickles crisp, which is why I prefer refrigerator pickles or fermented pickles. We also enjoy making sweet relish with cucumbers as well.

At the beginning of the season, only a few cucumbers start to trickle in. During that time, before the abundance hits, making this refrigerator dill pickles small batch uses up those lone cucumbers. It is a delicious way to enjoy the harvest, if you have a small crop.

This recipe makes one 16-oz jar and uses up 2-3 small/medium pickling cucumbers. If you want to make more than one jar, simply adjust the recipe accordingly.

Tools You’ll Need to Make refrigerator dill pickles recipe small batch

• Pint-Sized Mason Jars
• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make refrigerator dill pickles recipe small batch

• Approximately 2 to 3 small pickling cucumbers, sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cane sugar
• approximately 2 sprigs of fresh dill OR 1 dill flower heads
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Optional but highly recommended: 1 small grape leaf

How to Make refrigerator dill pickles recipe small batch

1. Select cucumbers. Avoid using cucumbers that are bruised, soft, or have a wax coating. In cool water, thoroughly wash the fresh dill and cucumbers.
2. Trim off the ends of the cucumbers, and slice into even slices about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Pack the jar tightly with the dill, garlic, cucumbers and grape leaf, if using, into a clean pint-sized jar.
4. Top the cucumbers with salt, sugar, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes.
5. Pour the vinegars and water over the spices and cucumbers, washing down the spices until the jar is filled and the cucumbers are covered in the vinegar solution.
6. Add a lid to the jar and then move it to the refrigerator.
7. Now, allow your refrigerator pickles to sit and marinate in the refrigerator for about 5 days before consuming in order to develop maximum flavor.
8. Over the first couple days in the fridge, gently shake the jar every now and then in order to mix and wet the ingredients that may be exposed or floating on the very top of the jar.
9. Now enjoy your delicious crunchy homemade refrigerated pickles! For the best quality and texture, consume within 2 to 3 months. Continued refrigeration is required. If you end up eating the pickles fairly quickly (within one month) feel free to toss in more fresh cucumbers or other veggies to reuse the brine and create more pickles!

Refrigerator dill pickles recipe small batch tips

• Do NOT peel cucumbers before making homemade pickles. 
• Always use the freshest cucumbers possible. Just-picked are best!
• Cut off and discard the blossom end of the cucumber to prevent a soft pickle.
• Choose smaller cucumbers over extra-large ones. Petite ones will have a higher skin-to-flesh ratio and also fewer seeds – the part that gets most soft. Little guys (or gals) fit better in jars with less waste too.
• Though optional including a couple grape leaves. They have natural tannins that help make homemade pickles stay crisp.
• Keep the cucumbers cold before making pickles by storing them in the refrigerator. For maximum crunch, soak your sliced cucumbers in a large bowl of ice water for several hours or overnight before adding them to the jar.
• For smaller batches and where cold storage space isn’t a concern, use a refrigerator pickles recipe (like this one!) rather than high-heat canning.

What goes well with refrigerator pickles?

Refrigerator pickles are great all on their own! We will snack on them throughout the day. There are some meals that they go exceptionally well with:

• Egg Salad
• Hamburgers
• Sandwiches
• Potato Salad
• Sloppy Joes

Commonly asked questions 

What kind of vinegar is best for refrigerator pickles?

Distilled white or apple cider vinegar is best for making refrigerator pickles. Both have a unique flavor. This recipe uses both! Depending on your personal preference, you can do all of one or all of the other. Both are great for pickling cucumbers. Avoid using raw vinegar when making refrigerator pickles.

How long are refrigerator pickles good for?

These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 months…though I think you’ll eat them up before then!

How do I keep my refrigerator pickles crisp?

Crisp pickles start with fresh cucumbers. Use cool water and vinegar when mixing up the brine. Grape leaves are highly recommended to keep your pickles crisp.

What happens if I don’t use grape leaf in refrigerator pickles?

This recipe is still absolutely great without grape leaves, because it never heats the vinegar brine. These pickles should stay crisp since they stay cold throughout the entire process. In other refrigerator pickle recipes especially, the pickles can soften as they set. The grape leaf will ensure they stay crisp, even after months. If you do not have a grape leaf, then I still suggest making this delicious recipe!

Can I Freeze Dry Refrigerator Pickles?

Yes! Pickles freeze dry great! The pickle flavor intensifies after the pickles have been freeze dried. They are good rehydrated with cold water, used in recipes, or just for snacking for the true pickle lover in your life! We can freeze dry all five trays at a time with our large freeze dryer. We like to fill all five trays before starting the machine to make the most use of the energy we are already using. Since we often only have one tray of pickles at a time, we like to fill the other trays with the remaining ingredients for a hamburger. Just get creative with it!

Refrigerator Pickles (Small Batch)

Print

Crisp, dilly, and crunchy these easy refrigerator dill pickles recipe small batch are perfect for if you only have a few cucumbers to pickle.

Ingredients

• Approximately 2 to 3 small pickling cucumbers, sliced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cane sugar
• approximately 2 sprigs of fresh dill OR 1 dill flower heads
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Optional but highly recommended: 1 small grape leaf

Instructions

1. Select cucumbers. Avoid using cucumbers that are bruised, soft, or have a wax coating. In cool water, thoroughly wash the fresh dill and cucumbers.
2. Trim off the ends of the cucumbers, and slice into even slices about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Pack the jar tightly with the dill, garlic, cucumbers and grape leaf, if using, into a clean pint-sized jar.
4. Top the cucumbers with salt, sugar, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes.
5. Pour the vinegars and water over the spices and cucumbers, washing down the spices until the jar is filled and the cucumbers are covered in the vinegar solution.
6. Add a lid to the jar and then move it to the refrigerator.
7. Now, allow your refrigerator pickles to sit and marinate in the refrigerator for about 5 days before consuming in order to develop maximum flavor.
8. Over the first couple days in the fridge, gently shake the jar every now and then in order to mix and wet the ingredients that may be exposed or floating on the very top of the jar.
9. Now enjoy your delicious crunchy homemade refrigerated pickles! For the best quality and texture, consume within 2 to 3 months. Continued refrigeration is required. If you end up eating the pickles fairly quickly (within one month) feel free to toss in more fresh cucumbers or other veggies to reuse the brine and create more pickles!

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