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Every time I make pickles, I’m standing barefoot in my mom’s kitchen again, the Texas summer heat so heavy it clung to your skin. We didn’t can for fun — my parents had lived through the Depression, and a garden full of vegetables was a way of life. Those long, sticky afternoons were filled with laughter, mouth-puckering vinegar steam, and lessons you can’t write down in a recipe card.
Like learning to make easy refrigerator pickles so I get all the good without the heatstroke.
- No boiling & sterilizing jars!
- No fancy tools!
Sweet and spicy like your favorite aunt who speaks her mind at family reunions! Let's do it!
🧾 Ingredients & variations
You’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients to make these sweet and spicy refrigerator pickles — and they’re super easy to customize!
I like to use baby cucumbers (also called pickling cucumbers) because they stay crisp and have tender skins that soak up all that sweet heat. Feel free to play with the flavors: add extra jalapeños for more kick or swap for habaneros if you’re feeling wild.
Oh, and once in a while I like to change it up and make these with honey instead of sugar - just use ⅔-3/4 cup of honey instead of the sugar called for in the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Sweet Heat Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers, about 5 small ones
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups white vinegar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, adjust for desired heat
- 1-2 jalapeños, sliced (optional but highly recommended)
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss cucumbers and onions with kosher salt. Let sit for about 1 hour to draw out moisture. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
- In a saucepan, combine white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, pepper flakes, peppercorns, jalapeños (if using), and garlic. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Divide the cucumber-onion mixture between 2 clean pint jars (or 1 quart jar). Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers, making sure they’re completely covered. Discard garlic if desired (or keep it for extra punch).
- Let jars cool to room temp, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (but they’re best after 48 hours). They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks—if they last that long.
Notes
Tip: Always use a clean fork (not your fingers!) when grabbing pickles from the jar to keep them safe from any funky bacteria.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make sweet & spicy refrigerator pickles
If you can slice a cucumber and stir a pot, you’ve already mastered 99% of this recipe. Here's a step-by-step walkthrough that'll have you crunching into these easy homemade pickles in no time.
Step one is to salt the cucumbers and onions to pull out the moisture. This keeps them crunchy.
You'll mix the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Yes, you can taste the brine - no judgement from me.
Once the steam from that hot, tangy brine is making your mouth water, you'll pour it over the cucumbers and onions in the jar.
Now for the hardest part of all. Refrigerate and wait for at least 24 hours before using.
🤫 Marye's secret for perfect homemade pickles
- Slice the cucumbers a little on the bias (slanted) for extra surface area for maximum flavor soak-up.
- Baby cucumbers or pickling cukes are your best bet — they stay crisp and soak up all that sweet, spicy brine like champs. Regular slicing cucumbers can get a little mushy (and nobody came here for floppy pickles).
- Don’t toss that leftover brine — it’s liquid gold! Use it to marinate chicken, splash it into potato salad, or add a few tablespoons to a bloody mary for a spicy, salty kick.
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
You can reuse it once for a second round if you like, but the flavor will be a little milder. (Pro tip: Toss in a few fresh spices to perk it back up.) You can also reuse the brine for pickled eggs - just add some peeled, hard-boiled eggs and refrigerate for a day or two.
Yes! You can swap the sugar for a sweetener like Splenda or monk fruit. Just keep in mind it might slightly change the texture and flavor — but they’ll still be delicious.
🍽️ Creative ways to use sweet heat pickles
Sure, you can pop these pickles straight from the jar (and you absolutely should), but they're also the secret weapon you didn’t know your meals were missing. Here are a few fun ways to put them to work!
- Chop into chicken salad, tuna salad, or pimento cheese
- Tuck into sandwiches
- Add to charcuterie boards
- Add to potato salad
- Chop into macaroni salad
📚 Related recipes
If you're on a roll and want even more homemade goodness, here are a few easy pickle recipes that'll keep those kitchen victories coming. No canning required!
Thanks so much for hanging out in my kitchen today! I hope you love these oh-so-easy, sweet and spicy pickles as much as I do. If you make a batch, drop a comment below — I can’t wait to hear how you used them!
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