Grandma’s Quick Pickled Cucumbers – Refrigerator Pickles

4.97 from 79 votes

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These Quick Pickled Cucumbers with green onion are made in the refrigerator for a simple summer snack!

refrigerator pickles that are quick and easy.

My grandma was a wiz in the kitchen and always created the most incredible recipes for her family of 13 kids (11 of whom were boys!). I got this recipe for quick pickled cucumbers from her. She is an incredible woman, and thinking about her makes me happy. She’d create a simple brine and throw anything from the garden in—not just cucumbers, but onions, bell peppers, and whole cherry tomatoes.

It tastes like summer in a jar, and whether you’re an avid gardener or more of a grocery store frequenter, anyone can make these easy refrigerator pickles in no time.

Try these recipes if you’re looking for more pickling options: Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickled Banana Peppers, Quick Pickled Cucumbers and Onions, and Sweet and Spicy Cucumbers and Vinegar

Quick and easy pickled cucumbers with onion a measuring spoon full of sugar and a knife on wooden surface.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • One of the best things about Refrigerator Pickles is that you can make them quickly and then let them sit in the fridge.
  • Unlike traditional canning, this recipe doesn’t require any special equipment.
  • If you have an abundance of fresh cucumbers, this recipe is a fantastic way to preserve them and enjoy them longer.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Vinegar  apple cider, white, and rice wine are all good options
  • Sugar – optional, but it takes a little of the “bite” out of the vinegar
  • Garden Cucumbers
  • Onion or Green Onion

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

cucumbers soaking in a brine in white bowl onion stalks in background.

How to Make Quick Pickled Cucumbers

  1. Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt.
  2. Add the cucumber and onion.
  3. Cover all the cucumbers with the brine.
  4. Place in the refrigerator until ready to eat!
close up of pickles cucumbers in a white bowl.

Recipe FAQs

What is the best vinegar for pickling?

Most recipes call for distilled white vinegar—it’s clear, colorless, and has a mellow aroma and tart acidic flavor. But you can really use whatever vinegar you like and have on hand, like apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar. This recipe is flexible!

What can I pickle at home?

If you ask my grandma, you can pickle any vegetables you like! A few common ones to pickle are cucumbers (of course!), radishes, carrots, red onions, asparagus, jalapenos, cauliflower, and green beans.

How do you pickle something quickly?

To pickle something, you must soak the vegetables in a vinegar brine. My brine calls for water, vinegar, sugar (optional), and salt. You let the cucumbers rest in the brine in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them. Letting them sit longer helps the flavors develop more, so an overnight soak is ideal, but they’re also okay to eat right away!

What is the best cucumber for pickling?

You want to choose a cucumber with thicker skin, as the thick skin helps the cucumber stay crunchy. Stay away from the English cucumber, as its skin is too thin.

close up of pickles cucumbers in a white bowl.

Expert Tips

  • White vinegar is the traditional vinegar for this recipe and a great place to start. Apple cider or rice wine vinegar are also good.
  • These are delicious on our favorite pulled pork sandwiches (made easy in the slow cooker!), as a side for everything summer, and to eat for a snack. You can’t go wrong with this simple dish all summer long.
  • Want to add a little spice? Toss in a jalapeno cut in half (delicious!).
  • I love these glass containers with lids to have things like this in my fridge. I also use a mason jar and one of these reusable lids really often.
green onions beside pickled cucumbers in a white bowl.

More Preserving Recipes to Consider

The most delicious cucumber recipes on the web, all in one place including easy refrigerated pickles, cucumber salad, green Detox juice and more!
4.97 from 79 votes

Quick Pickled Cucumbers – Refrigerator Pickles

Quick and easy pickled cucumbers with onion made in the refrigerator; our favorite way to use summer cucumbers!
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 1.5 cups of pickles

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup vinegar, (apple cider, white, and rice wine are all good)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar, optional
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
  • sliced garden cucumbers, (about 2 cups)
  • sliced onion or green onion, (about 1/2 cup)
  • additional vegetables as you like, (bell pepper, whole cherry tomatoes, etc.)
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Instructions 

  • In a small bowl add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine and until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the cucumber and onion. Taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking.
  • All the cucumbers should be covered in the brine, if you have lots of cucumber or are making a big batch, make more brine.
  • Let the mixture rest in the fridge until you are ready to eat. The flavors develop over time, so an overnight soak is great but mine are normally gone by dinner.

Video

Notes

  • I love adding the sugar and my mom does too, but my grandma doesn’t add that much (she only adds a few teaspoons). I say try it and see what you like.
  • White vinegar is a great place to start but if you like apple cider or rice wine vinegar, they are also good. You really can’t mess this up. Just adjust to the taste and enjoy!
  • The pickles will last at least a week in the fridge but get less crisp with time.
  • You can reuse your brine for a time or two; add more cucumbers!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 12 servings, Calories: 14kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.05g, Saturated Fat: 0.01g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.002g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g, Sodium: 196mg, Potassium: 40mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 16IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 0.1mg
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4.97 from 79 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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182 Comments

  1. Brittany says:

    5 stars
    I make these almost weekly! They have become one of my favorite snacks!! I love the minimal work that they take and love to switch up the onion type.

  2. Maggie Strazdins says:

    Thanks so much. I can never remember from year to year. I am sure they will delicious. Leaving out the sugar though.

  3. Dawn says:

    5 stars
    Love them and have been using this recipe for years

  4. Jean P. Cobb says:

    5 stars
    Just trying first time, hopefully not the last time

  5. Garycardwell says:

    How long can they keep

    1. Melissa says:

      They can keep a week or two though the cucumbers get less crisp with time.

  6. sally says:

    5 stars
    Everyone at the organic farmer’s garden gathering raved about this recipe. I was unaware until my friend told me and I realized that a 64 oz jar of them was gone. Two people came up to me when they saw me carrying the empty jar and said, “Oh you’re the one who made the pickles, how did you make them?” I was skeptical because I only discovered all the pickling cucumbers in the garden 6 hours before the party, the recipe was so simple and they did not have much time to marinate. They were a hit.

  7. William Cook says:

    5 stars
    I grew up with my mom making all kinds of pickles. These were my Dad’s favorite. As he would sit and eat a pint.

  8. Aaron Kremer says:

    5 stars
    With cucumbers in abundance right now, this recipe is absolutely perfect! We added thinly sliced white onions, fresh dill sprigs, garlic scapes and slice jalapeรฑos from the garden. Everything about this recipe is perfectly balancedโ€ฆ..10/10.

    1. Melissa says:

      That sounds SO good! Thank you for sharing what you did!

  9. Dietra Hartman says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! Easy and quick to make. Yummy!!

  10. Elizabeth says:

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite โ€œrecipesโ€ of all time from the web!!! It simple and delicious and I love that it doesnโ€™t have traditional pickling spices as part of the recipe. I have used this so many times and keep a jar of this liquid in my fridge in the summer. Simple yet delicious and I love adding red pepper and shredded carrots!!!