Freezer Dill Pickles
Inside: This easy recipe for freezer dill pickles is perfect for making small batches of pickles when you have just a few cucumbers at a time.
Do you have cucumbers growing abundantly in your garden or access to them from friend’s garden or the farmer’s market?
What should you do with them?
You don’t have time to can them, but you don’t want them to go to waste.
Did you know you can make freezer pickles?
My family actually prefers freezer pickles to canned ones. They retain more of their crunch when frozen versus canned.
As a bonus, it is easy to put up a small quantity at a time. I reduced the size of my garden this year since my boys are older and aren’t always at home for meals, so I don’t have as many cucumbers as I did in previous years.
But this recipe makes it easy to preserve even two or three cucumbers at a time. I can also freeze them in different-sized containers and take out a small one to use for Dill Pickle Chicken Salad for my husband and me, or take out a large one for a family dinner when everyone is home.
(In the picture above, I froze some pickles in 8-ounce containers and some in 16-ounce containers.)
Looking for a refrigerator dill pickle recipe? This is my go-to recipe.
For the best dill pickles, be sure to process your cucumbers as soon as possible after picking. If they can’t be preserved immediately, refrigerate them for up to 2 days. This recipe works best with thinly sliced cucumbers, not spears or whole cucumbers.
Easy Dill Pickles for the Freezer
You can find a printable copy of this recipe at the bottom of the post.
- 6 cups washed, thinly sliced (1/8″ to 1/4″ thick) pickling cucumbers, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon dill seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, if you like your pickles a little spicy
- 3 cups water
- 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- Place the cucumbers in a bowl with the garlic, dill seeds, and red pepper flakes. Whisk together the water, white vinegar, and salt until the salt is dissolved. This is your brine.
- Pour the brine over the cucumbers and spices. Be sure all the cucumbers are covered.
- Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- After 8 hours or the next day, place the cucumbers in freezer-safe containers (whatever size you prefer), spooning some garlic, dill seeds, and red pepper flakes in each container. Pour in enough brine to cover.
- Place a lid on each container and label each one with the contents and date. Freeze.
- To enjoy: Thaw pickles in the refrigerator overnight. Eat within one week.
Want more easy ways to freeze your garden harvest? Check out my digital book “The Backyard Gardener’s Guide to Freezing Your Garden Harvest.” You’ll find how-to guides to freeze over 20 fruits and vegetables, plus recipes to freeze fruits and vegetables in different ways.
Related Posts
Freezer Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 6 cups washed, thinly sliced (1/8" to 1/4" thick) pickling cucumbers, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon dill seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional use if you like your pickles a little spicy
- 3 cups water
- 2/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Place the cucumbers in a bowl with the garlic, dill seeds, and red pepper flakes. Whisk together the water, white vinegar, and salt until the salt is dissolved. This is your brine.
- Pour the brine over the cucumbers and spices. Be sure all the cucumbers are covered.
- Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- After 8 hours or the next day, place the cucumbers in freezer-safe containers (whatever size you prefer), spooning some garlic, dill seeds, and red pepper flakes in each container. Pour in enough brine to cover.
- Place a lid on each container and label each one with the contents and date. Freeze.
- To enjoy: Thaw pickles in the refrigerator overnight. Eat within one week.
