These refrigerator sweet pickles with cinnamon and cloves are delicious and easy to make. They are crunchy, sweet, tart and subtly flavored with cinnamon, clove, black peppercorns, bay leaf, mace and mustard seeds.
Jump to:
What are refrigerator sweet pickles?
Refrigerator sweet pickles are sweet pickles that are not canned. Instead, they are prepared simply by putting cucumber slices and spices into a jar, then adding a brine made from water, vinegar, salt and sugar. After a few hours of chilling in the fridge, the pickles are ready to eat.
Ingredients and notes:
- If white wine vinegar is not available, you can substitute unseasoned rice vinegar.
- To keep the solution from turning cloudy, try to use a salt that doesn't contain any anti-caking agents. Sea salt is a good option.
- Yellow mustard seeds is what mustard powder (also called dry mustard) is made from. For more delicious things to make with whole yellow mustard seeds, check out this homemade mustard recipe!
Special kitchen tools needed:
You will need either 2 two-cup capacity canning jars with lids OR 1 four-cup capacity canning jar with lid.
Recipe notes & tips:
- Cut the blossom end of the cucumber off and discard because the flower contains an enzyme that softens this end of the cucumber.
- The reason why you need canning jars is because of their heat resistance.
How to make the pickles:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Rinse the insides of the jar(s) and lid(s) with boiling water. Set aside.
Step 2. Slice the cucumber (you want about ⅛ inch thick slices). You can use a knife or a mandoline.
Step 3. Add cucumber slices and all spices to the jar(s).
Step 4. Add water, white wine vinegar, sugar and salt to a small saucepan. Bring the mix to a boil and boil (uncovered) for 2 minutes, then fill it into the jar(s). (If you have more liquid than fits comfortably, discard the excess.) Let the jars cool to room temperature. Put on the lids (but not too tight) and refrigerate the pickles for 4 hours before serving.
How to use the pickles:
- These pickles are great for sandwiches along with this oven-baked pulled chicken.
- You can also use these pickles to make a delicious sweet pickle tartar sauce (pictured below). To do that, finely dice 20 pickle slices (this should yield about ½ cup) and mix with ¼ cup of mayonnaise. The subtle sweetness and spice flavors of the pickles add a delicious complexity to the tartar sauce!
Frequently asked questions:
These refrigerator pickles are ready to eat after 4 hours in the fridge.
Unlike canned pickles, refrigerator pickles don't last for months in the fridge, they have to be eaten within about a week. I find that the pickles are best during the first 24 hours because that's when they are the crunchiest.
Cloudiness can come from the minerals in the water you used or from anti-caking agents in the salt that you used. But even if your solution is cloudy, the pickles are still fine to eat!
More delicious condiment recipes:
- Homemade Seasoning Salt (sugar-free)5 Minutes
- Homemade Tarragon Mustard with Apple Cider Vinegar56 Hours 15 Minutes
- Scallion Aioli5 Minutes
- Lemon Dill Seasoning Recipe24 Hours 10 Minutes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Thanks!
Full Printable Recipe
Refrigerator Sweet Pickles with Cinnamon and Cloves
Equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- knife and cutting board OR mandoline
- 2 two-cup capacity canning jars OR 1 four-cup capacity canning jar*
- small saucepan
- funnel
Ingredients:
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 bay leaf (cut the leaf in half if using 2 jars)
- 1 long or 2 short cinnamon sticks (use 2 short sticks if using 2 jars)
- ½ teaspoon mace blade
- ½ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 cup white wine vinegar**
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons salt***
Instructions:
- Rinse the inside of the jar(s) and lid(s) with boiling water. Set aside.
- Cut the blossom end of the cucumber off and discard because the flower contains an enzyme that softens this end of the cucumber.
- Slice the cucumber into ⅛-inch thick slices using a mandoline or a knife.
- Add the cucumber slices and all spices to the jar(s).
- In a small saucepan combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring the solution to a boil and boil uncovered for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the solution to a container with a spout or use a funnel to pour it into the jar(s). (Discard any excess liquid.)
- Let the jar(s) cool to room temperature. Put the lid(s) on (not too tight).
- Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes:
Nutrition Information (Estimated):
Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.
Linda
These pickles are so easy to make and sooo good
Nicole B.
So happy to hear that, Linda! :)
Becky
How long do these keep in the refrigerator?
Nicole B.
They will keep for about a week in the fridge but are crunchiest right after the first 24 hours.
Jeannette Cole
omg....these pickles are the BEST!!!! They deserve more than 5 stars in my opinion.
Nicole B.
That is so lovely to hear, Jeannette! Thank you so much for leaving such a nice comment! :)