5 Ingredients or Fewer

Dill Pickles

July 30, 2013
5
6 Ratings
  • Makes 2 medium jars, or 1 large jar + 1 small jar
Author Notes

I love pickles. I’m always asking if I can have someone else’s potentially unwanted lunch sidekick as soon as I spot it. But recently, upon reading the ingredient list on a popular brand’s (that shall remain unnamed) jar of pickles at the grocery store, I was a little bummed out. Yellow dye number something in a jar of pickles? Funky sounding ingredients as preservatives or stabilizers? No thanks, I’ll pass.

A few days later I was at my local farmer’s market buying some heirloom tomatoes from my favorite organic stand, and came across some pickling cucumbers. So I decided to try my hand at making my own pickles. It’s so easy, and they are so much better than store bought! I’ll probably be making them as long as my farmer’s market has pickling cucumbers available… They certainly won’t last the six months they keep for at the rate Mark is downing them.

Pickles even pack a few surprising health benefits. Cucumbers are a good source of fiber, and contain important nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, iron, and antioxidants. The vinegar used in the pickling process can help to strengthen your immune system, and is also high in acetic acid. Which like other acids, can help your body to more readily absorb nutrients and minerals from the other foods you are eating. More pickles please! —Natalie Griffo

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Ingredients
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups vinegar
  • 1/3 cup kosher or maldon salt
  • 5 pickling cucumbers
  • 1 bunch dill
  • 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
Directions
  1. Start by measuring out and adding the water, vinegar, and kosher salt to a small saucepan. Set stove to medium high, and heat until salt is fully dissolved in the brine. Turn off stove, and allow to cool fully.
  2. Roughly chop dill, setting aside a few long sprigs to place in the jar(s).
  3. Wash and slice cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. Toss in a dish with the chopped dill and peppercorns. Place cucumbers in the jar(s). Make sure to divide the chopped dill and peppercorns between the jars, if you are using more than one.
  4. Pour cooled brine into the jar(s), making sure that the cucumbers are fully covered. Tighten lids, and allow to sit in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Pickles will keep for up to 6 months. Enjoy!
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10 Reviews

Karin G. September 28, 2024
Love these. I added garlic.
Emily D. July 22, 2020
I haven't tasted them yet, but the brine, dill and peppercorns are enough to fill 4 16ounce wide mouth jars with as many cucumbers as you can squeeze in.
Lisa M. July 22, 2019
I followed this recipe exactly and put the pickles in a 80 oz. jar and they are so salty, I'm throwing them out. Is the recipe supposed to say a different measurement for salt?
brookish June 1, 2020
Sea salt is very different from iodized and kosher salt. The type of salt you use makes all the difference. I suspect you used table salt?
JohnZ August 27, 2014
Hi Natalie, thank you for the recipe! It looks great!

Couple quick questions: 1) what type of vinegar do you recommend? And, 2) what are the sizes of the jars? Is a "large" jar a quart jar?, medium a pint? Thanks in advance!
Natalie G. August 28, 2014
Hi John! I recommend using regular or "white" vinegar. It's been awhile since I made these, but I believe "large" is a wide mouth quart jar, and "medium" is a pint. I have a random assortment of jar sizes at my house, so at the time I was unsure. Hope this helps!
jthelwell August 8, 2014
What do you mean by "large", "medium" and "small"? Could you describe those as quarts, pints, half-pints, liters, etc.?
Natalie G. August 28, 2014
Hi jthelwell! It's been awhile since I made these, but I believe "large" is a wide mouth quart jar, and "medium" is a pint. I have a random assortment of jar sizes at my house, so at the time I was unsure. Hope this helps!
Shannon A. July 22, 2014
Hi Natalie, Any reason to think this wouldn't work just as well with slices as opposed to spears? Thanks, Shannon
Natalie G. July 23, 2014
Hi Shannon! I've yet to try this specific recipe with slices, but judging from all my pickling experience, I think it would work just as well. Good luck, and happy pickling! - Natalie