Easy Homemade Dill Pickles

updated Jun 17, 2024
summer

Cool, crunchy, and tangy — here's your detailed guide on how to make dill pickles from scratch.

Makes2 pint jars

Prep15 minutes

Cook5 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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Cool and crunchy, delightfully sour and capable of going from a quick snack to a crunchy addition to a hearty sandwich without a hitch — that’s what I call a good pickle. Did you know they’re a cinch to make at home?

You don’t even need to set aside the afternoon; you can make a few pint jars in less than 30 minutes. Here’s everything you need to know to make your own batch of homemade dill pickles right now.

Quick Overview

The Basic Formula for Pickling Brine

  • 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, and 4 teaspoons kosher salt. These pickles are made with a very basic brine of equal parts apple cider vinegar and water mixed with salt. This brine gets poured over the cucumbers — whole cukes, spears, or sliced coins — and transforms the vegetables into pickles. While you can certainly eat the pickles right away, they get even better after they’ve had some time to soak in the brine.
  • To make a larger batch. Keep the ratio of vinegar, water, and salt the same, and make enough to top off all your jars of pickles.

Best Cucumbers to Use for Pickles

  • Kirby cucumbers: These are the classic pickling cucumber — they hold up better than English cucumbers during pickling, remaining firm and crunchy instead of becoming overly soft.
  • Persian cucumbers: These make very nice pickles — they have thinner skin and are the perfect size for packing into pint jars. Persian pickles are what I used in this tutorial.

Key Ingredients for Dill Pickles

  • Cucumbers: You can use either Kirby or Persian cucumbers.
  • Dill seeds: The main flavoring for dill pickles comes not from the feathery dill herb fronds we use in so much of our cooking, but rather from the dill seed. It’s not something most grocery stores carry, but you can find it at Whole Foods, many smaller co-ops with bulk herb counters, and online at places like Penzeys.
  • Garlic: A few smashed cloves of garlic help round out the flavor of the pickles.
  • Red pepper flakes (optional): You can add a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.
  • Apple cider vinegar: We like apple cider vinegar for the brine, but feel free to use white vinegar, white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar if you prefer.
  • Salt: You can use either pickling salt or kosher salt.

How to Make Dill Pickles

  1. Prepare the jars. Wash and dry the jars and lids.
  2. Prepare the cucumbers. Wash, dry, and trim the cucumbers. You can leave the cucumbers whole, cut them lengthwise into spears, or slice them crosswise into coins.
  3. Add the spices to the jars. Peel and smash 4 garlic cloves. Place the smashed garlic cloves, dill seeds, and red pepper flakes (optional) in the jars.
  4. Pack the cucumbers into the jars. Pack the cucumbers (vertically if they are whole or cut in spears) into the jars. Trim the ends if they stand more than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar.
  5. Bring the pickling brine to a boil. Place the apple cider vinegar, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the brine over the pickles, filling each jar to within 1/2-inch of the top.
  6. Remove any air bubbles. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more pickling brine if needed.
  7. Tighten the lids. Place the lids over the jars and screw on the rings until tight (but not too tight).
  8. Cool and refrigerate. Let the jars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

Helpful Swaps

  • Vegetables: You can also use this recipe as a template for quick-pickling other vegetables. Okra, green beans, garlic scapes, and even carrots all make delicious pickles if you’re feeling like branching out into other parts of the garden!
  • Flavorings: Try it with mustard seed, celery seed, black peppercorn, or any other spice that tickles your fancy.
  • Vinegar: You can swap out the apple cider vinegar for rice vinegar, white wine vinegar, or another vinegar to suit your taste.

How Long Do Quick Dill Pickles Last in the Fridge?

These quick dill pickles will last up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

For Processed Pickles

These pickles can be processed in a hot water bath for 5 minutes, which makes them shelf stable for around a year. The downside is that the hot water processing will cook the cucumbers a bit and can sometimes give the pickles a softer texture.

  1. Boil and sterilize the jars and lids. If you are planning to can your pickles for long-term storage, bring a large pot of water to a boil and sterilize 2 wide-mouth pint jars and their lids.
  2. Make the pickles. Follow all the steps in the recipe.
  3. Process the pickles for longer storage. For longer storage, place the jars in a boiling pot of water (enough water to cover the jars) to can them. After the water comes back to a boil, boil for 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the water. Make sure the lids pop down; if they do not, refrigerate those pickles and eat them first.
  4. Store the processed pickles. Processed pickles will keep for at least a year unopened when stored at a cool room temperature. Refrigerate the pickles once you open the jars.

Dill Pickles Recipe

Cool, crunchy, and tangy — here's your detailed guide on how to make dill pickles from scratch.

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 5 minutes

Makes 2 pint jars

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds

    Kirby or Persian cucumbers

  • 4 cloves

    garlic

  • 2 teaspoons

    dill seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 1 cup

    apple cider vinegar

  • 1 cup

    water

  • 4 teaspoons

    pickling salt or kosher salt

Equipment

  • Chef's knife

  • Cutting board

  • 2

    wide-mouth pint jars with lids

  • Large pot, if canning

Instructions

Show Images
  1. Wash and dry the jars and lids. Wash and dry 1 1/2 pounds Kirby or Persian cucumbers. Trim away the blossom or stem end of the cucumber, which contains enzymes that can lead to limp pickles. Leave the cucumbers whole, cut them lengthwise into spears, or slice them crosswise into coins, as desired.

  2. Peel and smash 4 garlic cloves. Place the following in each jar: 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dill seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if desired.

  3. Pack the cucumbers (vertically if they are whole or cut in spears) into the jars. Trim the ends if they stand more than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing the cucumbers.

  4. Place 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, and 4 teaspoons pickling salt or kosher salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the brine over the pickles, filling each jar to within 1/2-inch of the top. You may not use all the brine.

  5. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more pickling brine if needed. Place the lids over the jars and screw on the rings until tight (but not too tight).

  6. Let the jars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the pickles. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.