Super Easy Dill Pickles Recipe (Perfect for Beginners!) (2024)

If you're looking for the best homemade Dill Pickle recipe, then this is the perfect recipe for you! It features delicious dills that are perfectly pickled using simple ingredients such as water, sugar, white vinegar, and some handful of spices for the tastiest canned dill pickles you'll ever have!

I learned how to can vegetables and fruits by watching my grandma canning all sorts of fruits and vegetables as a kid in Ukraine. But this special recipe was handed down to me by my mom and I've been making this for years now.

While store-bought pickles are convenient, making your own homemade pickles is a fun and rewarding way to take your love for pickles to the next level. Not only is the taste of homemade pickles superior to store-bought ones, but you also have the flexibility to customize the recipe to suit your taste preferences.

One of the benefits of making your own pickles is that you can control the ingredients and avoid any unnecessary additives or preservatives.

The brine used in this recipe is made from simple ingredients such as water, vinegar, and salt. We'll also add pickling spices that can be adjusted to your liking. Plus, making your own pickles is a great way to use up any excess cucumbers from your garden or local farmers market.

Once you've made your own homemade dill pickles, you'll never want to go back to store-bought ones. These pickles are perfect for snacking on their own, or as a tangy and refreshing addition to sandwiches, salads, and burgers. They also make great gifts for friends and family who appreciate the taste of homemade food.

Want to learn how to make Dill Pickles at home? Then keep on reading!

What are Dill Pickles?

Dill pickles are cucumbers that have been pickled in a brine solution using vinegar, water, salt, and various spices, including dill, garlic, and mustard seed. The term "dill pickle" refers to pickles that have been flavored with dill weed. This gives them a distinctively herbaceous and tangy flavor.

Dill pickles can be made using either fresh or pickling cucumbers, although pickling cucumbers are usually used as they have a thinner skin and firmer texture. The cucumbers are sliced or left whole before being placed in jars and covered with the brine solution.

Dill pickles are a popular snack food and can be enjoyed on their own or used in a variety of recipes, such as sandwiches, burgers, and salads. They are also great when served as a condiment alongside hot dogs and other barbequed meats.

Not only are they delicious, but dill pickles are also low in calories and a good source of vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting and bone health.

What Makes This Dill Pickle Recipe Special?

This dill pickle recipe stands out from other recipes because of the unique combination of spices used in the brine. Adding fresh garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns gives these pickles a more complex and flavorful taste than traditional dill pickles.

The pickles are also lightly spiced with red pepper flakes, which give them a mild heat that is sure to please even the pickiest palate. Plus, the use of white wine vinegar adds a subtle sweetness that complements the other flavors beautifully.

Unlike many other dill pickle recipes, this recipe requires no canning or special equipment such as a canning funnel or even a rack. All you need is some fresh cucumbers, basic pantry staples, and a few wide-mouth jars.

The pickles will be ready to enjoy in just three days. But they will become even tastier if left to sit for a week or two. My process for pickling them doesn't over-process them which will keep these pickles crisp until you're ready to have them

Homemade dill pickles are surprisingly easy to make, and the process requires only a few basic steps. With just a little bit of patience and a few basic ingredients, you can enjoy the delicious taste of homemade dill pickles all year round. Plus, they're also healthier for you with less sodium

You can also check out my refrigerator pickles recipe for another great pickle recipe!

What You Need to Make Dill Pickles at Home

You only need a few pantry-staple ingredients to start making your own dill pickles at home. Here are all the ingredients you'll need:

• Cold water:First we'll need some purified or distilled water for our pickle brine. It's best to use purified water. This is because tap water can contain chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals that can affect the flavor and quality of the pickles.

• Sea salt (or Kosher salt):Next up, we're going to use sea salt (or kosher salt). Salt enhances the flavor of the pickles by helping to balance out the tanginess of the vinegar and the herbaceousness of the dill weed.
• Organic sugar: We'llalso add some sugar to our dill pickle recipe to balance out the sourness of the vinegar and other acidic ingredients in the brine. Sugar helps create a more well-rounded flavor profile that is not overly tangy or sour.
• White distilled vinegar:White vinegar has a mild flavor and a high level of acidity, which helps to preserve the cucumbers and create a tangy flavor in our finished pickles.

• Small pickling cucumbers:We're going to use pickling cucumbers instead of regular cucumbers because they have a slightly different flavor profile. They are crisper, slightly tart, and slightly bitter, which will pair perfectly with the herbs we'll be using.

Spices and Herbs for Dill Pickles

• Horseradish leaves: Horseradish leaves will add a unique and slightly spicy flavor to the pickles. They have a mild flavor and a slightly bitter, earthy taste.
• Fresh dill:They wouldn't be dill pickles without the dill! This delicious herb has a slightly sweet, slightly tangy flavor with a hint of bitterness. It also has a fresh, grassy aroma that will infuse perfectly with our pickling cucumbers.
• Garlic:Next we'll add some garlic for its pungent and savory flavor. Garlic has a strong and distinctive flavor that is slightly spicy, with a hint of sweetness and bitterness.
• Crushed red pepper flakes:We're also going to add some crushed red pepper to our dill pickle recipe to give the pickles a spicy kick. They'll add a pungent and slightly sweet heat to the pickles and pair great with the dill and garlic.
• Black peppercorn: Peppercorns have a complex and robust flavor that is both spicy and slightly sweet. They're a really nice addition to the other herbs and spices in our dill pickle brine.
• Bay leaves:Lastly we'll use some bay leaves to add a subtle, earthy flavor and aroma to our pickles.

• 12 wide-mouth quart-size (2 pints or 1 liter) canning jars: We'll need these wide-mouth canning jars for an airtight container to let our cucumbers pickle in.

Making this delicious Dill Pickles recipe is super easy and fun too! Here's how to make it step by step:

How to Make Dill Pickling Syrup

First, let's make our pickling syrup. Combine the water, sugar, and salt in a large pot or saucepan, then bring it to a boil while stirring constantly until the sugar and salt completely dissolves.

As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, then remove the pot from the stove and let the mixture cool.

See Also

Gelatin Uses, Benefits, & RecipesPreserved Lemons RecipeClassic Cookbooks: Marcella Hazan's Homemade Tagliatelle with Bolognese Meat Sauce RecipeHealthy vegetarian recipes

How to Prepare Jars for Pickling Dills

Next, let's prepare our jars and lids. If you're reusing old jars it would be a good idea to replace the lid as the wax seals can wear out over time. Also, ensure the ring must is rust-free, otherwise, it may not keep a tight seal.

Wash the jars and lids in hot water and allow them to dry completely.

How to Assemble Dill Pickle

After your jars are dry, add a small piece of horseradish leaf, 1 small branch of fresh dill (including the blossom end), 2 bay leaves, 2-3 garlic cloves, 20 peppercorns, and ⅛th teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to each one.

Set your jars aside for a moment and thoroughly rinse the cucumbers, brushing them while rinsing to eliminate any dirt and grit if necessary.

Next, pack the rinsed cucumbers into each jar as compactly as possible without denting or otherwise damaging them.

After that, we need to add the white vinegar to the pot of cooled syrup we prepared earlier. Stir it well to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed.

Fill each jar of pickles with the pickling syrup.

And then cover each jar with a lid.

Canning Instructions for Dill Pickle Recipe

Next up, we'll be doing a hot water bath for our dill pickle jars to make them shelf stable.

Place 4 jars into a Stovetop Canner pot or other large boiling pot, then fill it with water until the water level reaches up to ¾ of the height of the jars.

Ensure the lid of each jar is screwed on tightly, then turn the stove on high heat until the water starts boiling.

As soon as the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium and allow it to cook for 7 minutes (you should see the bubbles rising from the bottom to the top of each jar).

Put on canning gloves or use a canning utensil to remove the jar for the pot. Screw the lid pretty tight using your hands with a canning glove. Doing it this way will allow you to feel when the lid is screwed on correctly, and not sideways.

How to Allow Dill Pickle Jars to Cool Properly

Next, we'll flip all our jars upside down and let them cool completely in this position before moving them. I let them sit like this overnight, or for about 12 hours.

Drain and refill the water in your boiling pot, then repeat the canning process until all of the jars have been boiled and left to sit upside down.

Once all the jars are properly cooled, place them right side up in the fridge and allow them to sit for 3 days to 2 weeks. The longer you let them sit, the more flavor the pickles will absorb from the herbs.

Your delicious dill pickles are now ready to gift or enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Dill Pickles Ever

Use only fresh cucumbers: Cucumbers are much firmer and crispier when they’re freshly picked, so using fresher cucumbers will give you a better pickle texture.

Choose your vinegar carefully: Depending on your preferences, you can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even a combination of both.

Be generous with herbs and spices: For maximum flavor, be generous when adding your herbs and spices.

Recipe Variation Ideas for Dill Pickles

While traditional dill pickles are always a hit, there are many ways to switch up the recipe and add some variety to your pickle game. Here are a few ideas:

• Spicy Dill Pickles: Add a bit more crushed red pepper flakes to your pickling syrup for an extra kick.
• Garlic Dill Pickles: Increase the number of garlic cloves used in the recipe and add a pinch of garlic powder to the pickling syrup too.
• Dill and Onion Pickles: Add one thinly sliced yellow or white onion to your jars before adding the pickling syrup.
• Dill and Cucumber Chips/Spears: If you’re looking for a crunchier option, slice your cucumbers into thin chips or spears and add them to the jars.

How to Store Leftover Dill Pickles

Leftover opened dill pickles should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be stored this way for 3 to 4 weeks or more and will stay fresh and crispy. Many people store them for up to 3 to 4 months this way as well, and since they've been canned properly, they'll still be good to use.

Unopened canned dill pickles can last up to 6 months or more when stored properly since they're shelf stable because we've processed them in hot water. Make sure you follow the instructions to seal the jars and can them properly.

Click HEREto download and print Pickle Jar Labels for FREE on THIS printable labelpaper.

More Canning Recipes You'll Love

• Canned Tomatoes Recipe
• How to Can Sorrel
• Sauerkraut Recipe
• Canned Homemade Strawberry Jam
• Tasty Canned Vegetable Salad Recipe
• No-Cook Raspberry Freezer Jam

Recipe Card

Thank you for following me onInstagram,Facebook,andPinterest!

This recipe was originally posted onAugust 7, 2017, and updated for a better user experience.The post may contain affiliate links. Read mydisclosure.