Delicious, crispy Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles without the canning process! If you’re a dill pickle fan but not enthusiastic about canning, you’ll love my copycat recipe of the famous Claussen brand of dill pickles found in your grocery store’s refrigerator case.
For lots of us, canning season is at its height about now. Everyone’s putting up luscious fruits and tasty veggies to enjoy throughout the year.
One of our family’s favorites and the recipe I do without fail every year is kosher dill pickles. I’ve only done a few quarts so far this year and really should get busy doing some more.
I’ve done a few Quick Pickled Jalapenos and some bread and butter pickles but no jams or preserves yet. Need to get those done while peaches are still at their peak. And maybe make some Okra Chips as well. Can you tell that preserving and canning is something I really enjoy?
But what if you don’t have all the canning equipment or just don’t enjoy doing that kind of work? Well then, maybe refrigerator pickles would be more your style.
These refrigerator kosher dill pickles are a copycat of the Claussen brand you find in the refrigerator section at your grocery store. They’re really, really easy to do and have a great crunch and flavor. I’d love for you to give these a try and let me know how you like them!
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 1 hour, 40 Minutes
Servings: 36
Primary Ingredient(s): Pickling cucumbers, apple cider vinegar, dill, garlic, minced onion
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- No boiling water bath is required.
- No special canning equipment is needed.
- Very easy! You don’t need to be a “canning person” to make these.
- They’re crunchier than canned pickles and taste very much like the name brand.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“These are absolutely the very best pickles I’ve ever had!! My family loved them so much, I’m making another batch tomorrow!”
— Lori
Want to save this?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredient Notes
This post may contain affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
- Pickling cucumbers – also known as “Kirby” cucumbers or sometimes “salad” cucumbers; be sure not to purchase the regular waxed cucumbers for this.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dried minced onion – you’ll find this in the spice aisle at your grocery store.
- Fresh garlic
- Yellow mustard seed – also in your grocery store’s spice section.
- Canning salt – we use canning salt because it’s completely pure salt and will keep the pickle brine nice and clear.
- Fresh dill heads or dried dill seed – find fresh dill in your grocery store’s produce section or dried dill seed with the spices.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles
One word of warning about this recipe – if possible, open the windows before you start boiling the solution. It gives off a really strong onion odor. And don’t make this the day before you’re having company over, because your house will still smell like it the day after!
👉 PRO TIP: If you happen to have fresh dill in your garden or from your grocery store, you can use the heads in this recipe. Otherwise, dried dill seed works just as well. If you use the fresh dill, pack it in the jars with the cucumbers. If using dill seed, put them in with the vinegar solution.
Make the Brine
- In a large saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, onion, garlic, mustard seed, canning salt, and dill seed (if using) to a rapid boil. Cook until the salt has completely dissolved. Set the mixture aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the Jars
- Prepare six wide-mouth quart canning jars and lids. Wash the jars, lids, and rings thoroughly in hot, soapy water. Rinse well. Set the lids and bands aside. To sterilize the jars, place them in a large pot filled with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the water using a canning jar lifter and place them upside down on a kitchen towel to cool until needed.
Prep the Cucumbers
- Prepare the cucumbers by washing in cool water, being careful to remove any dirt that may cling to the skin. Remove a 1/16” slice from the blossom end of each cucumber. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into halves or quarters.
Fill the Jars
- To each sterilized jar, add one head of fresh dill (if using) and pack with the cucumber halves or quarters. Pour the cooled mixture over the cucumbers in the jars.
- Wipe the rims with a dampened paper towel. Add a canning lid and ring to each jar. Turn the ring just until you meet resistance. Don’t over tighten the rings.
Store the Pickles
- Allow the jars to sit at room temperature for three days. Shake or turn the jars occasionally to distribute the seasonings. This short standing time allows for a very light fermentation process to take place. After three days, transfer the jars to the refrigerator. May be stored unopened in the refrigerator for six months.
Tips and Variations
- Be sure to use only pickling type cucumbers for the recipe (pickling cucumbers are also called “kirby” or sometimes “salad” cucumbers). Don’t purchase the typical waxed cucumbers found in the produce section.
- Because this isn’t a canning recipe (i.e., it isn’t being prepared for pantry storage, and it’s not shelf-stable), you can vary the ingredients a bit to suit your taste —
- if you like your pickles hot, add a dried red pepper pod to each jar along with the cucumbers.
- the amount of salt may be reduced.
- additional spices may be added; suggestions include dried coriander and/or dried red pepper flakes.
- Use pickling salt (not table salt or kosher salt) in order to prevent cloudiness in the brine.
- White vinegar may be used in place of cider vinegar. There will be a subtle difference in flavor.
More Copycat Recipes You’ll Like
Questions About Copycat Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles
Without getting into the technicalities of Jewish dietary requirements, kosher dills typically contain garlic and peppercorns in the brine. Regular dills generally do not include them.
Pickles produced using this recipe must be stored in the refrigerator after the three-day standing time because they haven’t been processed to create a seal between the lid and the jar.
You can always grow your own. Or check your local farmers’ markets and grocery stores. I buy mine at the local Wal-Mart.
Yes, you can pickle many different kinds of vegetables! And they’re delicious, too. Try sliced carrots, cauliflower florets, celery, and sweet bell peppers.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
Refrigerator Kosher Dill Pickles (Claussen Copycat)
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup dried minced onion
- 6 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons yellow mustard seed
- ⅓ cup canning salt
- 6 heads fresh dill or 4 ½ teaspoons dried dill seed
- About 18 pickling cucumbers
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, onion, garlic, mustard seed, canning salt and dill seed (if using) to a rapid boil. Cook until the salt has completely dissolved. Set the mixture aside and allow to cool to room temperature.6 cups water, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup dried minced onion, 6 garlic cloves, 1 ½ teaspoons yellow mustard seed, ⅓ cup canning salt, 6 heads fresh dill
- Prepare six wide-mouth quart canning jars and lids. Wash the jars, lids, and rings thoroughly in hot, soapy water. Rinse well. Set the lids and bands (rings) aside until needed. To sterilize the jars, place the jars in a large pot and fill with water just to cover the jars. Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the water using a canning jar lifter and place upside down on a kitchen towel to cool.
- Prepare the cucumbers by washing in cool water being careful to remove any dirt that may cling to the skin. Remove a 1/16” slice from the blossom end of each cucumber. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into halves or quarters.About 18 pickling cucumbers
- To each sterilized jar, add one head of dill (if using) and pack with the cucumber halves or quarters. Pour the cooled brine mixture over the cucumbers in the jars.
- Wipe the rims with a dampened paper towel. Close the jars using two-piece canning lids but don't tfrocefully ighten the ring — turn it just until you meet resistance.
- Allow the jars to sit at room temperature for three days. Shake or turn the jars occasionally to distribute the seasonings. After three days, transfer the jars to the refrigerator. May be stored unopened in the refrigerator for six months.
Notes
- Be sure to purchase the right type of cucumbers for making pickles. You’ll want those labeled “kirby” or “salad” cucumbers.
- Store unopened in the refrigerator for up to six months. Once opened, use within six weeks.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on August 3, 2013. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I boiled my dill sprigs with the brine. Should I start over and only add dill sprigs to the jars before adding brine?
No need to redo at all! The only thing you might notice is that your dill may change color somewhat. It may be a dull olive green instead of bright green. But that’s nothing to worry about!
hi pickle lovers I’ve tried most of the recipes online this one is the best fridge pickle recipe so far 👌 😋 5 stars all day long
Thanks! So glad you like it. It’s one of my favorites, too!
hi this is James again I opened another jar to my surprise….and still #1 fridge pickle
How do I make these good to not have to refrigerate all?
This recipe is not meant to be processed for keeping outside the refrigerator. It has not been tested for canning. It is for refrigerator storage only.
Hi Lana,
After pickles have sat on the counter for 3 days, move them to the refrigerator. Are they ready to eat at this point or should they set up for a week or so? Thank you for your recipe, can’t wait to try it!
They’re ready to eat at that point. I’d let them get good and cold in the fridge first.
These are absolutely the best pickles! Not too sour. A really nice flavor and crunch. This recipe is a keeper. I live in Costa Rica and the Feria (farmers market) has very fresh organic pickling cucumbers.
I have a question and request. I made 1/2 recipe once and they were really good,used pint jars, only made 3 jars and just barely had enough liquid.Tonight I made entire recipe,but didn’t quite have enough cucumbers so only have 5 quarts, but I did not have enough liquid to cover cucumbers. All I could think to do was add more vinegar and water till cucumbers were covered.1. Will these be safe to eat? 2. Could you make a recipe with more liquid? I would much prefer to throw out extra liquid than to have to throw everything out. I’m sure that I didn’t pack them as tight as you do, but may have others facing same dilemma. The first bunch was the crispest I’ve ever had and want that again.Thanks for the recipe.
Since this is not a canning recipe, it doesn’t matter from a food safety standpoint how you change the pickling liquid. As long as the pickles stay refrigerated, they are safe to eat. Not having enough liquid is almost always caused by not packing the jars tightly with cucumbers. If you don’t want to pack the jars tighter, I would suggest making 1 1/2 to 2 times the pickling liquid to make sure you have enough to cover the cucumbers. Leftover pickling liquid can be stored in the refrigerator and used with your next batch of pickles. No need to throw it out.
Made 9 jars so far. Does the leftover vinegar and ingredients i refrigerated need to be reheated to room temperature for my next batch with the 3 day wait time before refrigeration? Excellent recipe!
You must have lots of extra space in your refrigerator to hold 9 jars and now making more!!!
Each batch you make should follow the same procedure — create the brine, heat it, let it cool, pour over the cucumbers, let sit for three days, then refrigerate for storage.
I personally wouldn’t use leftover brine, I’d make it fresh for each batch. But if you do, then start from the point of heating it, then let it cool, and proceed.
Sounds good. Garage fridge. Pickles and beer only! 😃
I had cucumbers from the garden ready to go, but only eight and no dill seed except for planting, and only kosher salt with anti caking addition. My cukes needed to be used, I used my planting dill seed, some fresh dill weed, the kosher salt, halved the recipe and used 16 oz wide mouth canning jars. The liquid is a little cloudy but tastes great.
I made these but used white vinegar. This is a delicious recipe. The cucks are crunchy. Both kids and adults love them. I used fresh dill that I grew myself. I’m in the process of making another batch!
So easy, cruuuunchy! These are simply the best. I’ve done green beans, zucchini and carrots with the same recipe. This will be my go to canning staple for years to come.
Great! Glad you like the recipe.
when using the same recipe to u WB for shelf stable or do u store all of them in refrigerator I am looking for a shelf stable recipe.
If I WB how long did u WB for?
Nancy – this recipe is not appropriate for waterbath canning and cannot be stored on the shelf. This is a “refrigerator” pickle only. I have another kosher dill pickle recipe that is waterbathed and shelf-stable, but it is not a Claussen copycat so it doesn’t have the same taste as this one. If you’re interested, that recipe is here: https://www.lanascooking.com/favorite-kosher-dills/