These easy lemon cucumber pickles have a uniquely refreshing taste, and can be made in just a few minutes. Fresh lemon gives these pickles a zesty, bright flavor that can be enjoyed alongside a meal, in recipes, or as a crunchy snack!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Easy

Since these are refrigerator pickles, there is no canning required! Simply add fresh ingredients to jars, fill with brine, and let them marinate in the fridge.

Healthy

The usual pickles you find at the grocery store often contain ingredients like “natural flavors”, and low quality salt or preservatives. By making homemade pickles, you can control the quality of the ingredients you use. For the healthiest pickles, use organic ingredients.

Delicious

This refrigerator pickle recipe combines a bright and citrusy tang with a salty, refreshing crunch. The lemon adds a zesty flavor that elevates the taste beyond typical dill pickles. Together, they create a perfectly balanced snack that’s crisp, tangy, and refreshing!

Ingredients That Make These Pickles Amazing

English cucumbers: English cucumbers have a delightful crunchy texture and are more firm than slicing cucumbers. Many other varieties of cucumbers work well, such as Persian cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, or other types of small cucumbers. It’s best to use a more firm and less seedy cucumber type.

Lemon: the lemon flavor in this recipe comes from the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, as well as thin slices of fresh lemon.

Pickling brine: the simple pickling brine (A.K.A. pickle juice) in this recipe adds the salty-tangy, spiced, and herbaceous flavor to pickles. Since this recipe is not meant for long term storage, you can get creative and change up the spices, saltiness, or amount of vinegar if you like.

How to Serve Pickled Cucumbers with Lemon

A salty snack: pickled cucumbers are the perfect snack when you’re craving something salty and crunchy.

Apéritif or charcuterie board: enjoy these pickles with friends and family as a delicious addition to a cheese board with other snacks like olives, crackers, or fruit.

Change up your favorite recipes: make a lemony relish, add to a tuna or chicken salad, or toss into a crisp salad!

Add to sandwiches: slice these pickles up and put them on your burger or favorite sub sandwich.

Serve as a side dish: lemony pickles pair perfectly with soups, sandwiches, grilled meats, and so much more!

Optional Add Ins

Feel free to add more ingredients to this recipe for additional layers of flavor! Here are some ideas.

Red onion: red onions are delicious pickled, with a sweet and mild onion flavor.

Pepper: add thinly slice bell pepper or wax peppers for earthy, sweet notes.

Green beans: add raw or blanched green beans for a delightful texture and taste.

Fresh basil: make uniquely aromatic and flavorful pickles by using fresh basil instead of a standard dill pickle.

Fresh dill: dried dill and fresh dill have slightly differing flavors, try fresh dill for a brighter taste in this dill pickle recipe.

Spices: you can add a variety of spices to this recipe for different flavor profiles!

How to Store Lemon Cucumber Quick Pickles

Since these are refrigerator pickles, also termed “quick pickles”, they are not suited for long term storage. Enjoy these pickles within 2 weeks, storing in the refrigerator. Make sure to use clean utensils when removing pickles (not your hands or a used fork). If the cucumbers seem slimy or soft, it’s time to throw them out! They are so easy to make, so I just make a small batch at a time to ensure they won’t be forgotten in the fridge.

How to Make Quick Pickled Cucumbers with Lemon

Combine room temperature water, salt, vinegar, and lemon juice in a large pitcher. Stir until salt is fully dissolved.

Add sliced cucumber spears to each quart jar, layering lemon slices between them as evenly as you can. Ensure that there is at least 1 inch of space at the top of the jar to cover the ingredients with brine.

Evenly distribute garlic slices, spices, lemon zest, and dill among the jars.

Add the brine to the jars, ensuring that the cucumber slices, lemon slices, and garlic slices are fully submerged.

pouring brine into lemon cucumber pickles in jars

Secure the jars with lids and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours to marinate before serving.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!