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Easy Homemade Dill Pickles (refrigerator or canned)

Crunchy, delicious, and easy to make these dill pickles can be enjoyed anytime for a garnish on your favorite burger or a tasty, healthy snack.

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Fresh jars of dill pickles surrounded by dill and fresh cucumbers

We have been harvesting cucumbers out of the garden in excess. There are so many, we can hardly keep up. We’ve given some away, fed a few that got missed and overgrown to the chickens as a treat, and made plenty of bread and butter pickles, hot dog relish, and dill relish to give away for the next three years. However, our favorite way to use up our cucumbers is in this classic, delicious dill pickle recipe.

These delicious pickles only require a handful of ingredients and a few basic steps to make the best dill pickles you’ve ever tasted. They are perfect for topping your favorite burger, but these homemade dill pickles are a delicious and healthy addition to any meal.

Best Cucumbers to Use for Dill Pickles

Pickling cucumbers, or Kirby cucumbers at the grocery store, are the best varieties. These have thicker skin and firmer flesh providing the crunch you want for pickles.

Make sure you’re using fresh cucumbers when making pickles, whether refrigerator pickles or for canning. This will help ensure your pickles stay nice and crisp. If you are picking your own and don’t have quite enough, refrigerate them to prolong their firmness. Once they begin to soften, they’re no longer suitable for pickling.

You’ll also want to remove at least the blossom end of the cucumber as this will soften the cucumber, I recommend removing both ends, though.

Dill Pickle Recipe Ingredients

Fresh cucumbers, dill, garlic, sugar, mustard seed, black peppercorns and pickling spice laid out on a table to make dill pickles.

Pickling Cucumbers – often labeled as Kirby cucumbers at the grocery store, pickling cucumbers have firmer flesh giving you nice, crunchy pickles. If you can’t find them at the grocery, your local farmer’s market will have some in season.

Pickling Salt – pickling salt, or canning salt as it is often referred to, will work best in this recipe. However, any iodine-free salt such as sea salt or kosher salt will work.

Sugar – while the sugar can be omitted and still make a very fine pickle, this helps mellow the brine just enough without making the pickles sweet. I use organic cane sugar, brown sugar or regular white can be substituted if you choose.

Fresh Dill – fresh dill is really going to take these pickles next level. While you can add dill seed as a substitution, the flavor cannot compare.

Garlic – essential to really bring out the flavor and make these pickles delicious, just a couple fresh cloves per jar.

White Vinegar – I prefer the flavor of white vinegar in dill pickles, however, you can substitute it with apple cider vinegar if you wish. Just make sure you’re using 5% acidity vinegar and you’re set.

Water – Filtered water is going to make the best pickles.

Spices – I use a blend of homemade pickling spice, yellow mustard seeds, and peppercorns. Some people swear by the simplicity of dill and garlic, but I think these additional spices give the pickles more depth of flavor.

You’ll also need about 4 pint jars to put your pickles in whether you can them or make quick pickles. You can halve the recipe if you choose as well to make fewer jars at a time.

Slicing Cucumbers for Dill Pickles

Sliced cucumbers to make dill pickles

First off, slice the last 1/4″ off of the blossom end and discard. While some will tell you this isn’t necessary, that blossom end contains an enzyme that can soften your pickles, even if you’re making refrigerator pickles.

After that, you can quarter the cucumbers to make spears or slice them lengthwise to make pickle chips. You can also leave them whole if you want whole pickles. The choice is yours.

How to Make Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Freshly jarred dill pickles

These quick dill pickles are really easy to make and so delicious. You’ll never buy storebought again.

Sterilize jars. To begin pickling, sterilize your jars by washing them in hot, soapy water and then boiling them for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can wash them in the dishwasher on high heat or sterilize setting if your machine is equipped with it.

Boil the pickle brine. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, allowing the sugar and salt to dissolve. Remove from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Prepare cucumbers, dill, and garlic. Trim off the blossom end of each cucumber and slice into spears or slices. Again, you can leave smaller cucumbers whole and make whole pickles, but it will take longer for the brine to penetrate the skin.

Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and smash them with the side of a chef’s knife to gently crush them. Separate the fresh dill from thick stems and discard them.

Pack jars. Place 1/2 teaspoon of pickling spice, mustard seed, and black peppercorns to each jar along with 4 sprigs of dill and 2 garlic cloves. Pack cucumbers into jars and then pour the cooled pickling brine over the top of the cucumber mixture.

Pickle. Place lids on the jar of pickles and put it in the refrigerator for a minimum of two days, preferably a week before enjoying your fresh, homemade dill pickles! I recommend shaking the jar when serving just to make sure everything is mixed up and flavorful.

Canned Dill Pickles

Pouring brine over dill pickles

Want shelf stable dill pickles? The canning process is very similar to making refrigerator pickles with just a few adjustments and additions to ensure crisp pickles.

Slice & soak. Slice cucumbers into desired shapes and put them in a large bowl. Sprinkle cucumber slices with 1/2 cup of canning salt, and add cold water to cover the pickles and several ice cubes. Allow the mixture to sit, refrigerated for at least two hours before draining and rinsing thoroughly. This will help your cucumbers stay crisp.

Prepare canner, jars & lids. Wash jars and lids in hot soapy water. Fill them and a water bath canner with water and bring them to 180°F over medium heat. Keep jars hot while preparing the recipe.

Make the brine. Combine the sugar, salt, water and vinegar in a large pot and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat stirring frequently to dissolve salt and sugar. Keep the brine hot while you begin packing the jars.

Pack jars. In the bottom of the jar, put 2 garlic cloves and a 1/2 teaspoon each of black peppercorns, pickling spice, and mustard seed. Place 1/8 teaspoon of pickle crisp in each pint jar. Place 4 dill sprigs along the sides of the jar and pack jar tightly with sliced cucumbers, leaving 1/2″ of headspace.

Pour brine over the mixture, leaving 1/2″ of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust for proper headspace if necessary.

Wipe rims, center lids and finger-tighten screw bands.

Process jars. Place prepared jars in waiting waterbath canner ensuring they are completely covered with 1″ of water. Place the lid on the canner and bring everything to a boil over high heat. Once boiling process jars for 10 minutes for elevations 1,000 feet or lower, adjusting processing time for elevation if necessary.

Turn off heat. Remove the canner lid and allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes before removing the jars of pickles with a jar lifter to a towel-lined counter. Wait 12 hours before checking for proper seals. Remove the rings from proper sealed jars and store in a cool dark place for up to 18 months.

How Long Do Dill Pickles Keep?

If you make refrigerator pickles they will keep for a minimum of 5 or 6 months, but I recommend consuming them within 2-3 months for the best flavor and quality.

If you make canned dill pickles, properly sealed jars will keep for a minimum of 18 months.

How to Use Dill Pickles

These make an amazing, healthy snack right out of the jar but there are plenty of other ways to use a jar of dill pickles.

More Delicious Pickle Recipes

If you try this dill pickle recipe I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. I’d also love a recipe card rating and feel free to tag me on Instagram at @therusticelk.

Fresh jars of dill pickles surrounded by dill and fresh cucumbers
Yield: 4 Pints

Homemade Dill Pickles

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 days
Total Time: 2 days 15 minutes

These delicious dill pickles are the best thing you'll ever taste. Simple ingredients and a few simple steps and you'll have tangy, amazing dill pickles for your favorite meal or snack.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs Pickling Cucumbers
  • 2 tsp Pickling Spice (divided)
  • 2 tsp Mustard Seed (divided)
  • 2 tsp Peppercorns (divided)
  • 8 Garlic Cloves (divided)
  • 12 Sprigs Fresh Dill (divided)
  • 4 Cups Water
  • 3 Cups White Vinegar
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Tbsp Pickling Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pickle Crisp (divided, optional)

Instructions

Quick Pickles

  1. Wash jars in hot, soapy water and sterilize.
  2. Prepare the brine by combining vinegar, sugar, salt, and water in a large pot and bringing to a boil over high heat. Dissolve the sugar and salt, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature while preparing the rest of the recipe.
  3. Wash and scrub cucumbers thoroughly and remove the blossom end of each cucumber. Slice into spears by quartering each cucumber or cut lengthwise to cut into slices.
  4. In each sterilized jar place 1/2 teaspoon each of pickling spice, yellow mustard seed and black peppercorns along with two crushed garlic cloves and 4 sprigs of dill. Fill jar with cucumbers then pour the cooled brine over the top.
  5. Lid each jar and place them in the refrigerator to sit for at least two day, or for the best flavor, one week before enjoying.

Canned Dill Pickles

  1. Wash and scrub cucumbers thoroughly and then slice into spears or chips as desired. Place sliced cucumbers into a large bowl and cover with 1/2 cup of pickling salt, cold water, and ice cubes. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
  2. Drain the cucumbers and rinse to remove all of the salt and set aside.
  3. Prepare jars and boiling water canner by washing jars in hot, soapy water and filling them and the canner with water and bringing to 180°F allowing them to stay hot while you prepare the pickling brine.
  4. In a large saucepan combine salt, sugar, vinegar and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Keep the mixture hot while you pack the jars.
  5. Carefully remove the hot jar from the boiling water bath canner and in the bottom place 1/2 teaspoon each of black peppercorns, mustard seed, and pickling spice along with 1/8 teaspoon of pickle crisp, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and 4 sprigs of dill. Top this mixture with sliced cucumbers, packing tightly and leaving 1/2" of headspace at the top of the jar.
  6. Pour the hot pickling brine over the packed jars, leaving a half-inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust for proper headspace if necessary.
  7. Wipe the rim of the jar, center the lid, and finger tighten the screw band. Place the jars in the waiting water bath canner and ensure they are covered by at least 1" of water. Place the lid on the canner and bring everything to a rolling boil.
  8. Process jars for 10 minutes adjusting processing time for elevation if necessary. After processing turn off the heat and remove the lid. Allow the jars to sit for an additional five minutes before removing to a towel-lined counter. Leave undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours before checking for proper seals. Remove bands and store for up to 18 months.

    Notes

    Processing Times:

    • 1,000 ft & Below 10 Minutes
    • 1,001 ft - 3,000 ft 15 Minutes
    • 3,001 - 6,000 ft 20 Minutes
    • 6,001 ft + 25 Minutes

    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    8

    Serving Size:

    1 Cup

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 96Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 101mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g

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    Margarette

    Sunday 25th of August 2024

    Hi there! Liking this recipe but wondering if you used pints or quart jars for this recipe??

    Danielle McCoy

    Sunday 25th of August 2024

    Hi there! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe! For this dill pickle recipe, I used pint jars. They’re the perfect size for pickles and make it easy to store and enjoy them

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