How to Make Dill Pickles

Here’s how to make dill pickles! Follow this easy, no fail tutorial to fill jars with the best tangy flavor and satisfying crunch.

Did you know you can make homemade dill pickles in just 20 minutes? They’re tangy, salty sweet with just the right crunch: infinitely better than store bought. So why not try your hand at it? Not only will you feel a pride in your new skill, you’ll have two pint jars of bright green spears to eat for lunch, dinner and snacks. Trust us: the jars won’t last long! Here’s everything you need to know about how to make dill pickles.

Finding the right cucumbers

These dill pickles use small pickling cucumbers (also called baby or Kirby). Don’t even think about using a standard cucumber! The type for canning are small, thin cucumbers. They’re labeled different things at the store, so you might see them called baby cucumbers, pickling cucumbers or Kirby cucumbers.

Other ingredients for this dill pickle recipe

Other than the cucumbers, all you need is a handful of ingredients to make this dill pickles recipe! Here are the remaining ingredients you need for how to make dill pickles:

• Fresh dill: We like using fresh dill in our dill pickles. If you can’t find it or prefer a look without the herb, you can also use dill seeds! Use 2 teaspoons dill seeds for this recipe.
• Peppercorns & coriander seeds: These seeds add big herby flavor.
• Garlic: Garlic adds just the right savory note.
• Salt & sugar: Brings the flavor to the pickling brine.
• White vinegar: This is what makes the pickling action happen.

How to make dill pickles…in 20 minutes!

Once you’ve assembled the ingredients, pickling is a breeze! Here are the basic steps that you’ll follow for how to make dill pickles:

• Cut the vegetables & pack the jars. Slice up those long, thin cucumbers and pack them into the jars with dill and garlic.
• Make the brine. Dissolve the salt and sugar in the vinegar and water: it takes only 1 minute on the stove.
• Pour in the brine & cap the lid. Then pour in the brine, tap them on the counter to release any air bubbles, and cap the lid.
• Refrigerate 24 hours, or process for longer storage. Keep reading…

Method 1: Refrigerator pickles

Our favorite way to make dill pickles is refrigerator pickles! What are they and what are the pros and cons? Here’s a breakdown:

• Refrigerator pickles keep for 1 month in the refrigerator! You can eat them after 24 hours of refrigeration.
• They’re not shelf stable, but really: who needs them to be? We always eat them faster than 1 month.
• Refrigerator pickles are crunchy and bright green, with a crisp, tangy flavor. Processing the pickles makes them softer and milder. This is the main reason we love to make dill pickles as refrigerator pickles!

Method 2: Shelf stable pickles

Want your dill pickles recipe to last up to 1 year? Then you can process your pickles. Processing the pickles is simply boiling them for 10 minutes in a large pot. This kills all bacteria and allows them to be shelf stable for 1 year. Here’s more about this method:

• You’ll need a canning rack or any rack that keeps the jars off of the bottom of the pot.
• It takes 10 minutes to boil a jar of dill pickles.
• Processed pickles are softer, sweeter and milder, with a dull green color. This is because the boiling water cooks the pickles a bit. Alex and I prefer refrigerator pickles for their flavor and color, but the shelf stable pickles are delicious too!

Classic recipes with dill pickles

Now that you know how to make dill pickles: let’s eat! Our favorite way to eat them is to snack on them out of the jar (right?). But there are a few classic recipes that wouldn’t be the same without dill pickles. Here are a few recipes with pickles:

• Tuna salad: Pickles add just the right briny crunch to tuna salad. Try Classic Tuna Salad, Tuna Salad with Egg or Ultimate Tuna Salad Sandwich.
• Potato salad. They’re key in our classic potato salad recipe. Try Creamy No-Mayo Potato Salad.
• Russian dressing. They give just the right punch to Easy Russian Dressing, aka Big Mac sauce.
• Bloody Mary. The Classic Bloody Mary is perfect with a dill spear.
• Dill pickle dip. This Dill Pickle Dip is full of beautiful pickle flavor.

Let us know if you try our method in the comments below! PS check out our top dill recipes for what to do with the rest of your herbs!

This dill pickle recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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More types of pickles

Love pickles? (Us too.) You can pickle all sorts of veggies: not just cucumbers! Here are some more to try:

• Pickled Jalapeños or Pickled Banana Peppers Top your chili and burrito bowls!
• Pickled Garlic It’s might sound odd, but it’s uniquely delicious.
• Easy Pickled Carrots Eat as a relish, on a cheese board or in sandwiches…or inhale them right from the jar.
• Quick Pickled Radishes Beautifully pink and perfect for tacos.
• Quick Pickled Vegetables A rainbow of mixed vegetables in a jar.
• Quick Pickled Green Tomatoes The perfect way to preserve green tomatoes.
• Pickled Okra Tasty and briny, perfect for snacking or Bloody Marys.
• Easy Quick Pickled Onions Fantastic on tacos, sandwiches, and more.