Crunchy, fresh dill pickles are a great addition to any sandwich and are so easy to make. You only need a few ingredients and about 30 minutes!
Jump to RecipeDill pickles are the perfect topping for sandwiches and hamburgers, or to just eat on their own. Or at least that’s what I’m told. Personally, I don’t care for pickles, but Justin loves them.
Lately, he and the boys go grocery shopping together. And one day he came home with a cucumber. I asked why, since it wasn’t on the list (I know, I make the list). He said he wanted to make dill pickles.
I told him he was on his own for this recipe since I don’t even eat pickles. I have no clue where to even start, so he took the challenge.
The first thing he did, as we usually do when trying something new, was to look up a few recipes to get ideas. And this meant another quick trip to the store to get a few things. But the ingredients are all ones that you buy once, and they last a long time, other than the fresh cucumber.
At our grocery store, there is a cucumber that’s labeled as a pickling cucumber. Of course, this makes it easy to know what type to buy. If you can’t find one called a pickling cucumber, then you want to look for one that’s firm and unbruised to give you the crunchiest pickles.
This recipe is for a basic pickle, but you could add so many different spices to it to change the flavors to your liking. Justin prefers dill pickles and likes them on sandwiches or with anything bbq flavored. Sometimes he just grabs a pickle or two as a snack.
Dill Pickles Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 pickling cucumber
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 sprigs dill
- 1 tbsp peppercorn
- 1/2 tsp red pepper chili flakes
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsp pickling salt
Preparation
Start by washing the cucumber and slicing it to the size of pickles you want. Justin likes to make long sandwich-sized pickles rather than flat round pickles, but you can cut them in any way that you want.
Prepare the jars by making sure they are also clean and add your spices to the jar. Justin makes them with sliced garlic, dill, peppercorn, and red pepper chili flakes.
It helps to add the seasonings to the jar first, so you know there is space. Then put the cucumbers in the jars, making sure to pack them in, but don’t squish them. You don’t want to bruise the pickles.
Make the pickling brine by combining the cider vinegar, water, and pickling salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring it to a rolling boil, then remove it from the heat.
Let it cool for a minute before pouring it into the jars over the pickles and spices. Make sure to leave a bit of space in case it expands, and seal the jars.
Wait until everything cools to room temperature, then store the pickles in the refrigerator. They will be good for a few weeks.
Recipe
Originally Published On: May 10, 2019
Updated On: January 20, 2023
Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 pickling cucumber
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 sprigs dill
- 1/2 tsp red pepper chili flakes
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsp pickling salt
- 1 tbsp peppercorn (whole)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Wash the cucumber and cut to the desired size for pickles
- Wash and dry jars for pickles
- Slice garlic and add to jars with dill, peppercorn, and chili flakes
- In a small pot, combine apple cider vinegar, water, and pickling salt and bring to a rolling boil
- Let brine cool for a few minutes and pour into the jars until they are almost full
- Seal jars and leave out until they reach room temperature
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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I have always wanted to make my own pickles. Thanks for sharing your recipe, I can’t wait to try it!
My husband makes them every few months now that we figured out how to make them ourselves.
Love making pickles during the summer when we are over loaded with cucumbers. Will have to try your recipe.
That’s awesome! We’ve tried to grow cucumbers a few times in our backyard garden and they never seem to grow for us for some reason.
We love making our own pickled anything. We attempted pickles once before and had an abundance of pickles we didn’t like. I will have to try these since it’s a small batch.
We always make a small batch because my husband is the only one who really eats them in our house. Hopefully, this recipe works out better for you!
I am currently planning my garden. I always plant plenty of cucumbers. Adding this to the list of things to make with my fresh garden cucumbers!
We have tried to grow cucumbers a few times with very little success. I don’t know if it’s just too hot here or not enough pollinators or space. My husband wants to try again this coming fall though!
We love pickles but I never thought about making them at home. I must try to make my own.
My husband does too. The first time we made them was when we got a bunch of cucumbers from our local co-op. Now he will buy cucumbers just to make our own.
Oh cool!!! My youngest daughter would love if we always had pickles around. Maybe I’ll share this.
You should try to make your own then! My husband is the same way, which is why he makes these every few months or so.
Personally I don’t love pickles that much but everyone at my house is a big fan. We always make our own pickles at home. This recipe looks so easy and fresh. I have loads of dills and cucumber at my home, definitely going to try this!
I personally don’t like pickles either because I can’t stand cucumbers. But, my husband loves them so he is the one who makes them all the time.
Oh yeah! I had forgoten how easy making your own pickles was!We used to make these, then somehow we stopped! Thank you so much for the reminder, this time I’ll try your recipe!
Fermented foods are so good at aiding digestion, and one of my personal favorites! Did he can the jars too or did they seal on their own?
My husband will eat a pickle with almost every meal, so he just put the lid on the jars since he eats them so quickly. We aren’t storing them long-term. The jar of pickles lasts about a week before they are all eaten.
Pickles always add a little taste to the dish and we always stash these in our fridge… We’ve never tried making our own but will try your recipe out for our own homemade dill pickles!
You should give it a try! I don’t eat pickles myself, but my husband says the fresh ones are so much better than buying them jarred and processed from the store.
I did this as a kid but I haven’t canned as an adult and I very much want to. I think homemade dill pickles are the best!
You should give it a try again! We don’t “can” these to preserve for a long time, but they last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. My husband eats them quick enough that it works for us.
Oh, this looks super yummy. I will definitely have to try this. I love trying new recipes!!
I hope you enjoy the pickles if you make some! I don’t eat pickles, but my husband says they are so much better fresh.
OMGGGG Pickles! I LOVE pickles. My friend made some for holiday gifts a few years back. Thank you for this!
What an awesome idea for a gift! I hadn’t thought about that before. We made homemade pumpkin puree as a gift to our neighbors at Thanksgiving a couple of years ago.
My mom will love this recipe. easy quick and looks yummy too. thanks for sharing
I hope your mom enjoys the recipe!
This is something I know my stepdad would absolutely love! Not really a fan myself, but I know he’d love this!
I don’t care for pickles either, but my husband and his dad love them. He is the one who makes them at home, not me!
Oh man, my husband loves pickles and I have been in the market for a good recipe! He home makes his pickles too but adds Jalapenos and boiled eggs to his jar. I am going to show him this! As always it looks delicious!
Oh, jalapenos sound like an interesting addition to it. I bet my husband would love that, too!
This looks so good and delicious though I have never tasted it before but won’t mind making some and having a taste of it.
My husband says they are much better fresh. I don’t eat pickles, so couldn’t tell you! 🙂
This Make Dill Pickles perfect for a sandwich and it looks east to made I would love to make this Pickles YUMM<3
My husband has these on a sandwich daily when we have them in the fridge!
I am going to have to do this with my daughter. It’s one of my most favorite things ever. And my daughter tries to steal my pickles all the time. My daughter would love doing this.
Sounds like a great thing that you could do together!
Wow, it looks so simple! I also don’t care much for pickles but my husband LOVES them, I might surprise him with your recipe!
I bet he would love it as a surprise!