The Best Pail Pickles – A No-Cook Recipe You Make in a Bucket

This easy pail pickles recipe is a fantastic way to transform cucumbers into sweet, crunchy, no-cook pickles you can make in bulk! Toss everything into a pail or bucket, give it a stir, and you’ll have fresh flavorful pickles ready in less than a day.

These are our new favorite way to enjoy pickles, and they only take about 15 minutes to make. They’re a little tangy, a little sweet, and the perfect thing to do with your cucumber bounty.

If you’re looking for the easiest pickle recipe around, these tasty pail pickles will be your new go-to way to pickle!  Start by mixing a simple brine in a bucket (or pail or bowl), add your vegetables, stir, and refrigerate. 

You’ll have sweet, crisp pickles in 12-24 hours, full of flavor and with an amazing crunch. I made these with cucumbers and onions, but you can throw in any other veggies you have! Bell peppers, garlic, and cauliflower would all be great additions. These quick pickles are ready in about a day, but taste like they have been brining for months.

Just a note, this is a quick pickle recipe, and not suitable for canning or long-term storage. You can make, refrigerate, and enjoy these pickles for up to 2 weeks! 

These Easy Pail Pickles Are:

• Bright
• Fresh
• Flavorful
• Sweet
• Crunchy
• Versatile
• So Simple to Make!
• A Great No Cook Pickle Recipe

What Are Bucket Pickles?

These bucket pickles, or pail pickles, are an easy quick pickle recipe that can be made by stirring all ingredients together in a large bucket, without using heat! Traditionally these pickles were meant to be mixed into a gallon sized ice cream pail or bucket. This recipe makes about 3/4 gallon of pickles, perfect for any leftover gallon buckets you have around.

Most pickle recipes call for heating and mixing the brine before pouring over the cucumbers, but this recipe mixes them all together as the brine naturally dissolves without heat.

Ingredients for Pail Pickles

• Cucumbers – I used medium-sized pickling cucumbers, about 5 inches in length. Our garden hasn’t started producing cucumbers quite yet, so I ended up getting them from a farm down the road! Always support local farmers and produce stands when you can!
• Onions – I used a large sweet Vidalia onion, but you can use any variety you have on hand: yellow, white, or even red onions. My husband said the onions were his favorite part of these pickles, they add a nice savory flavor.

• Granulated Sugar
• White vinegar
• Pickling Salt – I like this course pickling salt for making quick or traditional pickles!
• Mustard Seeds – add so much great flavor.
• Turmeric – a staple in our spice cabinet!
• Garlic Powder: I stock up on garlic powder, because I love using it in recipes for added flavor and depth. I love garlic powder and add it to a lot of recipes that I would use fresh garlic in.
• Black Pepper -I love fresh peppercorns for a fantastic spicy flavor
• Chili Flakes – optional, for spice!

How Do You Make Bucket Pickles?

1. In a clean 1 gallon pail or bucket, add the white vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, salt, turmeric, garlic powder, black pepper, and chili flakes (if using). Stir until the brine has dissolved. 
2. Add the sliced cucumbers and onions to the brine. It’s okay if the cucumbers aren’t completely covered, they will release water after soaking in the brine for a few hours.
3. Cover with the pail or bucket lid (or tin foil), and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Stir, and enjoy your pickles.
4. Pickles will last in an airtight refrigerated pail for up to 2 weeks.  Note: this is not a long term canning recipe, it’s a quick pickle recipe that only lasts for 2 weeks when refrigerated.

A Quick Pickle Recipe with Less Sugar and Salt

I’ve made pickles dozens of times, and often find many quick pickle recipes to be too sweet (4 cups of sugar?!?) or too salty. I adapted my pickle recipe to have a nice amount of sweetness without being overly sugary. Same with the salt, I use about half that of other recipes to keep the sodium content down.

These pickles are tart, savory, crunchy, and absolutely delicious! And the sky’s the limit on additional veggies you can add – if you have snap peas, green beans, peppers, whatever – add them to the bucket as well! The brine would go great with so many additions.

A No-Cook Pickle Recipe That’s Perfect for Summer

These no-cook pail pickles are a quick and simple recipe.  I love a good no-cook recipe for those days when I’m not feeling like standing around the stove, or for summer nights when it’s too hot to cook. I have a whole collection of recipes that require zero cooking at all, check them out here! 

And if you’re looking for more seasonal recipes, here are my favorite recipes that feature summer produce.

Easy Cucumber Recipes You May Enjoy

If you still have extra cucs after making these pail pickles, here are a few of our favorite cucumber recipes:

• Mediterranean Cucumber Salad with Feta Cheese
• Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe
• Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream & Dill
• Lemon Quinoa Salad 
• Tomato Cucumber Mint Salad Recipe

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The Best Pail Pickles

Kelly Jensen

This easy pail pickles recipe is a fantastic way to transform cucumbers into sweet, crunchy, no-cook pickles you can make in bulk! Toss everything into a pail or bucket, give it a stir, and you'll have fresh flavorful pickles ready in less than a day.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Share Tweet

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Refrigerating Time 1 day d

Total Time 1 day d 15 minutes mins

Course Condiment, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Canadian

Servings 24 1/2 cup servings

Calories 87 kcal

Equipment

• 1 gallon pail or bucket

Ingredients

  

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• 5-6 lbs cucumbers sliced, I used 10 medium pickling cucumbers
• 1 large sweet onion sliced
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon pickling salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes optional, if you like a little heat

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• In a clean 1 gallon pail or bucket, add the white vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, salt, turmeric, garlic powder, black pepper, and chili flakes (if using). Stir until the brine has dissolved.
• Add the sliced cucumbers and onions to the brine. It’s okay if the cucumbers aren’t completely covered, they will release water after soaking in the brine for a few hours.
• Cover with the pail or bucket lid (or tin foil), and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Stir, and enjoy you pickles.
• Pickles will last in an airtight refrigerated pail for up to 2 weeks.  Note: this is not a long term canning recipe, it’s a quick pickle recipe that only lasts for 2 weeks when refrigerated.

Notes

Dietary Modifications

• This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and dairy free.
• To make gluten free, ensure any spices or added ingredients (like sugar) is certified gluten free.

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 343mgPotassium: 146mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 0.3mg

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