Spicy Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES – they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don’t have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! 

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES - they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don't have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! | MrsHappyHomemaker.com @thathousewife

This past year has brought so many ‘firsts’ for me since my Michael passed away last July. When you think about the ‘firsts’, most people go for the things like the first anniversary, first Christmas, birthdays, etc – and yes, those are super hard. But there are so many more firsts that people don’t really think about such as daily activities that are ‘firsts’ doing by yourself. Things that you really don’t even think about unless the unthinkable happens. You know, those mundane tasks around the house that just become part of your daily routine. Like Michael always took out the trash, mowed the yard, tended the garden, etc – just normal day to day things. Things I hope he knows how much I appreciated him doing for our family & home (hint, hint – go tell someone you appreciate them for the mundane things we don’t think about! Like right now!). You don’t really think about those kind of things on a daily basis really. I know I didn’t. All those little things that we just kind of look over as we live our day to day. Doing them by yourself for the first time in 16 years can be a little daunting to say the very least.

Those firsts have brought so many learning experiences that have included many, many failures, some sort-of failures, & some downright successes too. I used to get upset at the failures but I don’t anymore. I could have not tried at all, but I did. I’d rather try and fail rather than not try at all. Just like the great Dory fish (because I quote Disney y’all, so just deal) here – ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming’.

My garden is one of those things that is definitely a learning experience for me! I never thought how much went into it before! 75% of what I planted is growing… so that’s definitely something to be celebrated. But it’s full of grass & weeds.  I’ve decided that I don’t like picking weeds out of the garden. Not one little bit. <insert the most pitiful pouty face you can imagine here> I tried making a game out of it with my 6 year old son to see how many weeds he could pick out of the garden… but that only lasted about 4 or 5 clumps of weeds/grass before he decided he wasn’t really a fan of this game. My daughters are teenagers, so I don’t think I have a chance of tricking them into thinking it’s a game. I may initiate a bribe reward for them if they pick all the weeds out of the veggie garden. Sounds like a plan to me.

Cucumbers must thrive off of weeds though. I’ve never had so many cucumbers in my life from my garden. It’s like they magically grow overnight by the bucketload. I have made SO many pickles. I think that’s all I do these days. I wake up, drink coffee, pick cucumbers, make pickles, go to bed… repeat. I might need to build an addition onto my home for pickle storage. On another note, if we are real life friends – come get some pickles. I don’t think I can afford a pickle room addition on my house, y’all.

On the plus side, I’ve been experimenting with different pickle recipes since the start of the cucumber apocalypse season began & I’ve got a great recipe for you for refrigerator pickles. Refrigerator pickles are my favorite to make because they are never soggy and they’re fast & easy to prepare a batch. These crunchy pickles are a little on the spicy side with the flavors of garlic & fresh dill. These are the pickles that the ones sold in the grocery stores wish they could be like.

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES - they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don't have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! | MrsHappyHomemaker.com @thathousewife

And, they’re kinda pretty. Don’t ya think?

Here’s what you need to make them – plus cucumbers:

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES - they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don't have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! | MrsHappyHomemaker.com @thathousewife

Wash all your cucumbers. The fresher picked the better for the best texture & flavor! Slice into spears, slices, or leave whole. I went for the spears here.

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES - they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don't have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! | MrsHappyHomemaker.com @thathousewife

In a large bowl, combine the water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, pickling spice, & red pepper flakes. Stir.

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES - they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don't have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! | MrsHappyHomemaker.com @thathousewife

Add the cucumbers & let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until the sugar & salt dissolve.

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES - they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don't have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! | MrsHappyHomemaker.com @thathousewife

Place the cucumbers in your jars. I used quart sized because we eat a ton of these at once, but you can use pint sized too. Ladle in the liquid from the bowl to cover the cucumbers. Place a sprig of fresh dill into each jar if you’d like, & seal with lids. Refrigerate for 10 days before eating. Use within 4-5 weeks.

SPICY GARLIC DILL REFRIGERATOR PICKLES - they can be whipped up in a jiffy & since they are refrigerator pickles, you don't have to worry with the whole canning process & your pickles are ALWAYS crunchy & never soggy! | MrsHappyHomemaker.com @thathousewife

spicy garlic dill refrigerator pickles
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Spicy Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles

Ingredients

  • about 1 dozen pickling cucumbers about 3-4 inches long
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 3/4 cups white vinegar
  • 1.5 cups chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 8 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1.5 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon pickling spice
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or less or more to taste

Instructions

  • Wash all your cucumbers. The fresher picked the better for the best texture & flavor! Slice into spears, slices, or leave whole.
  • In a large bowl, combine the water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, pickling spice, & red pepper flakes. Stir. Add the cucumbers & let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until the sugar & salt dissolve.
  • Place the cucumbers in your jars. I used quart sized because we eat a ton of these at once, but you can use pint sized too. Ladle in the liquid from the bowl to cover the cucumbers. Place a sprig of fresh dill into each jar, & seal with lids. Refrigerate for 10 days before eating. Use within 6 weeks.