Here’s how to make dill pickles! Follow this easy and error-proof tutorial to fill jars with the best flavorful flavor and satisfying crunch.
Did you know that you can make homemade dill pickles in just 20 minutes? They’re tangy, sweet, and salty with just the right amount of crunch: infinitely better than store-bought. So why not try it? Not only will you be proud of your new ability, but you’ll also have two jars of bright green spears for lunch, dinner, and snacks. Trust us: the glasses won’t last long! Here’s everything you need to know about making dill pickles.
Find the right cucumbers
Use these dill pickles small pickled cucumbers (also called baby or kirby). Don’t even think about using a standard pickle! The type for canning is small, thin cucumbers. They’re labeled differently in the store, so they may be labeled mini pickles, pickles, or Kirby pickles.
Other ingredients for this dill pickle recipe
Aside from pickles, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this dill pickle recipe! Here are the remaining ingredients you need to make dill pickles:
- Fresh dill: We like to use fresh dill for our dill pickles. If you can’t find it or prefer a grassless look, you can use dill seeds too! For this recipe, use 2 teaspoons of dill seeds.
- Peppercorns and Coriander Seeds: These seeds add a great herbal flavor.
- Garlic: The garlic brings just the right salty note.
- Salt & Sugar: Adds flavor to pickle.
- white wine vinegar: This causes the scraping action to occur.
How to make dill pickles… in 20 minutes!
Once you’ve got the ingredients together, marinating is a breeze! Here are the basic steps you will follow to make dill pickles:
- Cut the vegetables and pack the jars. Cut these cucumbers into long and thin slices and put them in the jars with the dill and garlic.
- Prepare the brine. Dissolve salt and sugar in vinegar and water: It only takes 1 minute on the stove.
- Pour in the brine and close the lid. Then pour in the brine, tap it on the counter to release any air bubbles and close the lid.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours or process for longer storage. Continue reading…
Method 1: fridge cucumbers
Our favorite way to make dill pickles is fridge pickles! What are they and what are the pros and cons? Here’s a breakdown:
- Pickles from the fridge 1 month in the fridge! You can eat them after 24 hours of refrigeration.
- They are not storage stable., but really: who needs them? We always eat them faster than 1 month.
- Fridge cucumbers are crunchy and light green with a crunchy, tart flavor. Processing the cucumbers makes them softer and sweeter. That’s the main reason we love making dill pickles as fridge pickles!
Method 2: Shelf Stable Cucumbers
Want your dill pickle recipe to last up to 1 year? Then you can process your cucumbers. The treatment for pickles is simply to boil them in a large saucepan for 10 minutes. This will kill all bacteria and keep them stable for 1 year. Learn more about this method:
- You need a canning stand or any rack that holds the jars off the bottom of the jar.
- It takes 10 minutes Boil a jar of dill pickles.
- Processed cucumbers are milder, sweeter and milder, with a dull green color. This is because boiling water will cook the cucumbers a little. Alex and I prefer fridge pickles for their flavor and color, but long-life pickles are delicious too!
Classic recipes with dill pickles
Now that you know how to make dill pickles, let’s eat! We prefer to eat them out of the jar (right?). But there are a few classic recipes that wouldn’t be the same without dill pickles. Here are some recipes using pickles:
Let us know if you try our method in the comments below! PS, check out our best dill recipes for what to make with the rest of the herbs!
This dill pickle recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
The description
Here’s how to make dill pickles! Follow this easy and error-proof tutorial to fill jars with the best flavorful flavor and satisfying crunch.
- 2 1 Quart Wide Mouth Mason Jars with Lids
- 1 1/2 at 2 Pound small cucumbers (like Kirby)
- 3 Garlic cloves
- ½ tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tbsp Sugar
- 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1⅓ cup the water
- 1 a large handful of fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dill seeds)
- Wash two mason jars and their lids in hot soapy water, rinse and allow to air dry.
- Slice the cucumbers lengthwise into four (cut off the tops to fit in the jar). Peel and halve the garlic cloves.
- In a saucepan, combine coriander seeds, whole peppercorns, sugar, kosher salt, white vinegar, and water. Stir over low heat until completely dissolved, about 1 minute, then remove from heat.
- Tightly wrap the pickles, garlic, and fresh dill in the two clean mason jars.
- Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers. Tap jars on counter to release air bubbles, topping up jar with additional water when pickles are exposed.
- Wipe the rims of the jars clean and place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until finger tight.
- For the pickles from the fridge (our favorite): Leave the glasses in the fridge for 24 hours before tasting. Pickles will last up to 1 month in the fridge (they’re not stable, but they never last that long!).
- For Shelf Stable Canned Gherkins: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a canning rack. Place the jars in the boiling water, using a canning rack (or other rack that holds them off the bottom) to raise the jars off the bottom of the jar. Boil 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the water for 5 minutes, then carefully place on a cutting board and allow to cool to room temperature. After 12 hours, check that the lids are tightly sealed (make sure the lids close: if not, refrigerate the cucumbers as in step 8). Store in a cool place for up to 1 year.
- Category: Essential
- Method: cans
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: How to make dill pickles, dill pickles recipes
More types of cucumbers
do you like cucumbers (So do we.) You can pickle all kinds of veggies — not just cucumbers! Here are some others to try:
