Sweet and spicy refrigerator pickles are the perfect topping for your next backyard burger. Refrigerator pickles are easy for anyone to make at home - no canning involved. These pickles are perfectly sweetened with a kick of spicy jalapeño!
Recipe summary
Flavor: Bread and butter pickles with a kick of jalapeno heat!
Pickling time: 2 days in the refrigerator
Yield: 32 ounces
Similar to: Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles, Spicy Dill Refrigerator Pickles, Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Cucumbers - Pickling cucumbers, English cucumbers, or slicing cucumbers work in this recipe. Pickling cucumbers create a firmer pickle, while the others create a softer pickle.
- Jalapeños - Can be substituted with other similar peppers you have on hand, like poblano or serrano peppers.
- Brine - Vinegar (apple cider or white), water, granulated sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, and black peppercorns create a sweet & spicy brine. For a less-sweet brine, reduce the sugar by ¼ cup.
- Salt - Kosher can be substituted with sea salt or non-iodized table salt. Do not use iodized salt, it can change the color and flavor of your pickles.
How to make sweet and spicy pickles
- Whisk to combine vinegar, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool to warm.
- Pack your veggies and seasoning into pint size jars.
- Pour brine into your jars to completely cover the veggies. You may have some leftover.
- Tightly seal and refrigerate for 2 days.
Tips and tricks
Use a mandoline slicer - For even vegetable slicing, use a mandoline slicer. These pickles are ¼", but slightly thinner ⅛" pickles are also a great choice.
Pack jars tightly - Fit as many cucumbers as possible into your jars. If you don't have enough cucumbers, you may need additional brine to fill your jars to the top.
For a less-sweet pickle - Reduce the sugar by ¼ cup.
For a milder pickle - Cut the red pepper flakes in half, and/or remove the seeds and membranes from your jalapenos.
Refrigerator pickles are pickles made without traditional canning methods. They are not shelf-stable like regular canned goods, so they need to be stored in the refrigerator. They're ready to enjoy after two days of pickling.
Refrigerator pickles will keep for up to two months stored in the refrigerator. Since they're not canned, they are not shelf stable and need to be stored in the refrigerator.
Any cucumbers you have on hand can be pickled. Pickling cucumbers are an ideal choice, but English cucumbers or slicing cucumbers will also work. Pickling cucumbers make a firmer, crunchier pickle, whereas English or slicing cucumbers make a slightly softer pickle.
This recipe makes 32 ounces of pickles, so you can make one single 32 ounce jar, or two 16 ounces (pint size) jars instead.
No. Any clean, dry jars will work for this recipe. Jars need to be sterilized for canning because they must be entirely free of bacteria and fungi to sit for long periods of time at room temperature without spoiling. Refrigerator pickles are stored in the refrigerator at all times, so there's no need to take the extra step of sterilization. However, you are absolutely welcome to sterilize your jars if you simply want to.
This recipe is specifically written for those who don't want to can their pickles. I haven't tested canning this recipe, so I can't say how it would turn out. I recommend searching for a canning specific recipe for best results.
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📖 Recipe
Sweet & Spicy Refrigerator Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 pound cucumbers, thin sliced
- 2 jalapeños, thin sliced
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pack two pint size jars with sliced cucumbers, jalapeños, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add vinegar, sugar, water, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Heat to boiling and cook for 1 minute, or until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to warm.
- Pour liquid into jars to completely cover cucumbers and jalapeños. Depending on how tightly packed cucumbers are, you may have leftover brine.
- Tightly seal and refrigerate for 2 days to allow cucumbers to pickle. Store pickles in refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Cucumber type: Pickling cucumbers will produce a firmer pickle, and slicing/English cucumbers will produce a softer pickle.
- Storage: Your refrigerator pickles need to be stored in the refrigerator. Since they are not canned, they are not shelf-stable and need to be refrigerated.
- Pickling time: The cucumbers need 2 days to pickle in the brine before enjoying. They are edible immediately but need at least 2 days of rest for best flavor. Your pickles will get spicier the longer they set!
Very good. I was able to make it with all fresh ingredients from the garden. Great by themselves or with any food you prepare.
can't wait to try them 2 days n counting
I made this recipe and I keep making it!! So delicious and so easy! I already have all the ingredients on hand and it’s a great way to use all the cucumbers from the garden
I haven't made these but I plan on it. Do you need to put pickle crisp in, how do they stay crisp?
Hi Jules, I hadn't heard of pickle crisp before, so I can't say for sure how it would turn out in this recipe. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
I made these then loved them so much, I then used the same recipe with green tomatoes and it was amazing. This is my new recipe for sweet and spicy refrigerator... Well, anything.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Can you put these in a hot water bath canner to make them shelf stable?
Hi Stacy, I do not have much experience with canning so I can't say for sure how they'd turn out. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!