Homemade Pickles
Learn how to make the best Homemade Pickles with this simple recipe! All you need are fresh cucumbers, dill, and garlic, and a couple of pantry staples, to make these traditional dill pickles at home. They're crisp, flavorful, and quick and easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups distilled white vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 2 pounds cucumbers
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
- 2 sprigs fresh dill, roughly chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Add the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a saucepan on the stove over high heat. Stir the ingredients constantly until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Remove the pan from the stove and let it cool while preparing the cucumbers in the jars.
- For pickle rounds (or chips), slice the cucumbers into thin rounds, about ⅛-¼ inch thick. Or, for spears, slice them in half lengthwise, then slice the halves lengthwise into quarters, then slice the quarters lengthwise into eighths. If your spears are long, slice them through the middle so they’re not too tall for your jar.
- Add the cucumbers to one large jar, or multiple small jars. For this recipe, I can perfectly fit it in two of these 34 ounce jars.
- Divide the peppercorns, fresh dill, garlic and red pepper flakes between the jars, or put them all into the one large jar.
- Pour the liquid from the saucepan over the cucumbers in the jar(s).
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (for pickle rounds) or at least 3 hours (for pickle spears). The flavor will continue to develop over the next couple of days. These pickles will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
- The pickles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Do not drain the liquid from the jars anytime during this 3 weeks. The pickling liquid is what preserves the cucumbers and keeps them from spoiling.
- To make spicy pickles, add two sliced jalapenos with the cucumbers, or add more red pepper flakes.
- This recipe is not meant to be canned for long-term storage. This recipe is for refrigerator pickles, and is not designed to be canned in a hot water bath for pantry storage.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 14kcal (1%)Carbohydrates 2g (1%)Protein 0.2gFat 0.1gSodium 438mg (18%)Potassium 45mg (1%)Fiber 0.3g (1%)Sugar 2g (2%)Vitamin A 28mg (1%)Vitamin C 1mg (1%)Calcium 8mg (1%)Iron 0.1mg (1%)
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