Dill Pickle Recipe
Crunchy, tangy, and bursting with dill flavor, this Dill Pickle Recipe brings the joy of homemade pickling to your kitchen—no canning experience required.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Kirby or Persian cucumbers scrubbed and cut into 3-inch pickle spears
- 2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity) or apple cider vinegar for a mellow tang
- 1 cup filtered water chlorine-free for best crispness
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt or pickling salt; avoid iodized
- 4 sprigs fresh dill or 2 tablespoons dill seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds sub: ½ tsp yellow mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for a little kick
Instructions
- Place spears in a clean bowl and set aside. If you prefer crisper pickles, soak them in ice water for 20 minutes, then drain.
- In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, water, and salt. Warm gently, stirring until salt dissolves completely—no need to boil. You’ll see tiny bubbles around the pot’s edge; that’s your cue to remove it from heat.
- Divide garlic, dill, mustard seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes and bay leaves evenly between two quart-size canning jars. Tuck cucumber spears in tightly—snug packing avoids floating.
- Carefully ladle the warm mixture over cucumbers, leaving about ½ inch of headspace. You want the spears fully submerged to prevent spoilage. Tip: use a chopstick to remove air bubbles.
- Wipe rims clean, screw on lids, then let the jars cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Transfer to the fridge. They’ll be ready to nibble after 24 hours, but flavor deepens over 3 days.
- If you’re into data—on average, our readers report peak crunch at day 5. Jot dates on the lid or try our free AI-powered canning tracker (link) to personalize brine pH recommendations.
Notes
• I found using filtered water boosted crispness—chlorinated tap can soften skins.
• If you spot cloudy brine after fermentation, it’s totally normal—just rinse and enjoy.
• For long-term canning, process jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes; these will last 12–18 months.
• Learned the hard way: over-packing cucumbers can trap air, leading to limp spears.
• If you spot cloudy brine after fermentation, it’s totally normal—just rinse and enjoy.
• For long-term canning, process jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes; these will last 12–18 months.
• Learned the hard way: over-packing cucumbers can trap air, leading to limp spears.
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