Simple 10-Minute Bread & Butter Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator Pickles are a simple summer staple! They require only a few ingredients and a couple of minutes of time. This simple recipe can be made in no-time and you’ll have the most tasty condiment to serve at your next barbecue.

Fresh cucumbers and onions that are tightly packed into a mason jar and then topped with a sweet homemade brine. The thinly sliced cucumbers and onions only take a couple of hours in the refrigerator to absorb all of the sweet goodness. Serve at your next barbecue or eat straight out of the jar for a healthy and refreshing snack.

WJUMP TO RECIPEW       WRECIPE INDEXW

Growing up, we always had a bucket of refrigerator pickles hanging out in the refrigerator. My mom would fill one of those plastic gallon-sized ice cream buckets with cucumbers, onions and sometimes bell (green) peppers, then she would serve them with lunch, dinner, snacks or any barbecues that we attended. They were always a hit, and the longer that the sat in the refrigerator the better they would taste, not that I can remember them ever lasting that long.

 To this day they are one of my favorite ways to eat cucumbers, especially if they are picked from our own garden. I don’t keep a gallon-sized container of them, but through the summer months you’ll definitely find a jar or two hanging out in my refrigerator.

Sweet Pickles – Key Ingredients

This is one of the easiest pickle recipes you’ll ever find. If you’re a novice cook or you’ve never made pickles before, you’ve got this one.

▪ Cucumbers – You don’t need any special type of cucumber for this recipe. I use the same ones that I use for my salads, they’re easy to find, inexpensive, slice up nicely and absorb the flavor well.
▪ Onion – Sweet onions are the best for this. I like to use Vidalia Onions when possible, they have such a sweet flavor of their own that when added to the sweet brine they create the most awesome flavor. I actually like eating the onions as much as I do the cucumbers, they are that good.
▪ Vinegar – You don’t need any fancy vinegar for this recipe, plain ole’ white vinegar will do the job.
▪ Sugar – Straight up granulated sugar is all that you need.

How to Make Sweet Refrigerator Pickles

I like to use mason jars, only because I have so many, but you can use any type of container that will seal shut. My mom used an ice-cream bucket, a little cumbersome, but it worked.

1. Pack sliced cucumbers and onions into a clean, quart size mason jar or other air-tight container. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Spoon hot liquid into the jar to about a half-inch from the rim. Place lid on jar and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
   

Variations to the Recipe

If you would like to kick up the flavor here are some things you can try:

• Add 1 teaspoon of celery seed, mustard seed and/or turmeric to the brine.
• Add thinly sliced bell peppers or sweet peppers to the jar.
• Add a thinly sliced apples or pears to the jar.
• Use apple cider vinegar.

How to serve

My favorite way to eat them is right out of the jar. However, if you have to share them it’s best that you spoon them out onto a plate first, for sanitary reasons. Besides them being a delicious snack, they also make a nice, refreshing summer side dish for both lunch and dinner and if you’re barbecuing, it’s always a good idea to have a bowl of them close at hand.

They also make a good add in for some of your favorite recipes, like potato salad, tuna salad, deviled eggs. They also taste great served on top of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Storage Instructions

Store the pickles in an airtight container, like a mason jar or Tupperware container. They will keep in the refrigerator until you eat them all or 2 months, whichever comes first.

Which is your favorite, sweet or dill pickles?

5.0 from 2 reviews

Simple 4-Ingredient Refrigerator Pickles

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Fresh cucumbers and onions that are tightly packed into a mason jar and then topped with a sweet homemade brine. The thinly sliced cucumbers and onions only take a couple of hours in the refrigerator to absorb all of the sweet goodness. Serve at your next barbecue or eat straight out of the jar for a healthy and refreshing snack.

Author: Robin | Fluster Buster

Recipe type: Condiment

Yields: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 2 cups cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ½ cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Pack sliced cucumbers and onions in a clean, quart size mason jar. Set aside
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Spoon hot liquid into the jar to a half-inch from the rim. Place lid on jar and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

3.5.3251

Print Coupons

Tips

✔ Use a mandolin slicer, it’s quick and will create the same size slices. Uniform slices not only look nice, they absorb the brine equally.
✔ Use a funnel when spooning the brine into the jar. The funnel will help keep the sticky brine off the rim of the jar so that your jar will open and close easily.
✔ Add a pinch of salt to the brine, it will live’n up the sweetness a bit.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Vegetable Pizza – a fun and delicious way to serve vegetables and dip at your next summer barbecue.
• Fruit Pizza – a delicious summertime treat! Serve as a refreshing snack, a decadent dessert or a dish to pass at your next potluck.
• Polish Roses – serves as both a beautiful centerpiece and a tasty appetizer.
• Restaurant Style Salsa – tastes as good as what you get in the restaurants, and is so simple to make that you’ll be making it all of the time.
• Guacamole – ditch the packet mixes, this simple recipe is muy bien. In minutes, you’ll have a fresh and flavorful topping for your favorite Mexican dish.
• Pico de Gallo (aka Salsa Fresca) – Made from the freshest ingredients to create a light salsa that can be served over salad, chicken, beef and fishreshly chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro and jalapenos, seasoned with a little garlic, salt and lime juice.

About the Author

Robin
A mother to three amazing boy, wife to an incredible husband and a former finance manager who traded in her spreadsheets for cookie sheets. I blog about things that make life a little more fun, a bit more manageable, slightly prettier, a great deal tastier and considerably cheaper.

Recent Posts

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission. I only recommend products or services that I personally believe will add value to my readers. All opinions stated are strictly my own. Read our full disclosure policy for more information. 

Categories
BSummerBceBCondimentsBceBVegetablesB