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Dill Pickle Recipe

Easy Homemade Dill Pickles

Learn how to make crispy, tangy dill pickles at home with just 8 simple ingredients! This refrigerator pickle recipe creates restaurant-quality pickles that are perfect for snacking, sandwiches, or burgers. No canning experience required - just mix, pour, and wait for delicious results.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Chilling Time 1 day
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Condiment, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 15
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vegetables
  • 12-14 Persian cucumbers or 8-10 pickling cucumbers fresh and firm
Aromatics
  • 4 cloves garlic halved
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 8-12 sprigs fresh dill divided among jars
Pickling Brine
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups distilled white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup cane sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sea salt

Equipment

  • 4 (8-ounce) glass jars or 2 (16-ounce) glass jars with tight-fitting lids
  • Medium saucepan
  • Sharp knife
  • Cutting board

Method
 

  1. Prepare the cucumbers: Wash cucumbers thoroughly. For dill pickle spears, slice lengthwise into quarters. For pickle chips, slice horizontally into thin rounds (about 1/4 inch thick).
  2. Pack the jars: Divide sliced cucumbers evenly among your clean glass jars. Add halved garlic cloves, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and fresh dill sprigs to each jar, distributing evenly.
  3. Make the pickling brine: In a medium saucepan, combine water, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar and salt completely dissolve (about 1 minute).
  4. Add brine to jars: Let the hot brine cool slightly, then carefully pour over the packed cucumbers, ensuring all vegetables are completely covered. Leave about 1/2 inch headspace at the top.
  5. Cool and refrigerate: Allow jars to cool completely to room temperature, then seal tightly and place in refrigerator immediately.
  6. Wait for pickling: Pickle chips will be lightly pickled in 24 hours, while spears need at least 48 hours. For best flavor, wait 5-6 days before enjoying.

Notes

Storage: These refrigerator pickles will keep for several weeks in the fridge and actually improve in flavor over time.
Cucumber choice: Persian cucumbers stay crispier than regular cucumbers. Pickling cucumbers are ideal if you can find them.
Customization: Feel free to adjust spice levels by adding more or fewer peppercorns. You can also experiment with different herbs like fresh thyme or oregano.
Safety tip: Always use clean jars and utensils to prevent contamination. These are refrigerator pickles, not shelf-stable canned pickles.