vegetables
RizzieFarms Fresh Refrigerator Dill Pickles
These RizzieFarms Fresh Refrigerator Dill Pickles capture the crunch and brightness of farm harvest in a bowl. Thick-cut pickling cucumbers are layered with green bell peppers, jalapeños, onion, garlic, and a big handful of fresh dill, then submerged in apple cider vinegar seasoned simply with salt and coarse black pepper. No canning equipment is needed—just a large bowl with a tight-fitting lid and some fridge space. After a week of marinating, the vegetables develop a punchy, garlicky, dill-forward flavor that keeps beautifully for several weeks and can be replenished with more fresh veggies as you go.
Ingredients
Refrigerator Dill Pickle Base
- 10–12 pickling cucumbers, washed and sliced into spears or 1/4-inch rounds
- 2 green bell peppers, cored and cut into large slices
- 5 large jalapeño peppers (2 sliced into rings with seeds, 3 sliced lengthwise, seeded, and cut into strips)
- 1 yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges
- 1 large bunch fresh dill, fronds only (thick stems removed)
- 1 head garlic, cloves smashed
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
- Apple cider vinegar, enough to just cover the vegetables (about 4–6 cups depending on bowl size)
Instructions
- Prep the cucumbers Thoroughly wash 10–12 pickling cucumbers, then slice them into spears or 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place all of the sliced cucumbers into a large non-reactive bowl with a tight-fitting lid.
- Prep the jalapeños Slice 2 of the 5 large jalapeño peppers into rings, keeping the seeds in for heat, and add the jalapeño rings to the bowl of cucumbers. Slice the remaining 3 jalapeño peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds, cut into strips, and add the jalapeño strips to the cucumbers.
- Add bell pepper and onion Core 2 green bell peppers, cut them into large slices, and add the bell pepper slices to the bowl. Cut 1 yellow onion into 6 wedges and add the onion wedges to the cucumbers and peppers.
- Add dill and garlic Separate the fronds from 1 large bunch fresh dill, discarding the thick stems, and add the dill fronds to the bowl. Smash the cloves from 1 head of garlic and add all of the smashed garlic cloves to the vegetables.
- Season the vegetables Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper evenly over the cucumbers, peppers, onion, dill, and garlic. Toss gently with clean hands or a large spoon to distribute the salt and pepper throughout the vegetables.
- Add the apple cider vinegar Pour apple cider vinegar over the seasoned vegetables, adding enough vinegar (about 4–6 cups, depending on the size of your bowl) to just cover the cucumbers, peppers, onion, dill, and garlic. Stir well so all vegetables are submerged and the salt, pepper, and vinegar are evenly distributed.
- Refrigerate and marinate Seal the bowl with a tight-fitting lid (or divide the vegetables and brine into several jars with lids). Place the refrigerator dill pickles in the refrigerator and let them marinate for at least 1 week before serving for best flavor, turning or stirring the vegetables once or twice during the first day to keep everything coated in the apple cider vinegar brine.
- Serve and replenish Serve the pickles straight from the refrigerator, lifting out the cucumbers, peppers, onion, garlic, and dill with tongs or a slotted spoon. As the week goes on, you can top off the bowl with additional fresh cucumbers or other vegetables, making sure they are submerged in the existing apple cider vinegar brine.
Notes
- For best flavor, let the refrigerator dill pickles sit at least one week before eating; they will keep well for about 4–6 weeks in the refrigerator.
- You can replenish the bowl by adding more fresh cucumbers and vegetables into the existing vinegar brine as you eat the pickles.
- Try adding other farm-fresh vegetables such as okra, green beans, or different types of peppers to the same brine for variety.
- These fresh refrigerator dill pickles can be seasoned further with bay leaves, mustard seeds, whole black peppercorns, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, or other spices to taste.
- For smaller portions or easy sharing, pack the vegetables and brine into mason jars and store in the refrigerator—no canning process is needed since these are not shelf-stable.