I’m sharing my Classic Dill Pickle Recipe so you can start canning crunchy pickles at home to fill your pantry.

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I’ve hauled home a crate of Kirby pickling cucumbers and a handful of fresh dill sprigs and I couldn’t wait to start canning them into crunchy jars for the pantry. My Best Classic Dill Pickle Recipe is about that loud first bite that makes you stop and wonder what you did different, and I keep tweaking small things until one jar sings.

I dont always get it right, sometimes i overdo it, but thats how the best surprises happen. If you want to dig deeper check out Making Dill Pickles and Classic Dill Pickle Recipe lore, it kinda pulls you in.

Ingredients

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Crunchy Kirby cucumbers give fiber, low calories, fresh cucumber flavor and satisfying snap.
Dill adds aromatic, grassy notes and small amounts vitamins and antioxidants.
Garlic lends a sharp, savory bite, plus trace protein and immune boosting compounds.
White vinegar brings the sour, tangy pickling acid and helps preserve the cucumbers.
Pickling salt seasons, draws out water for crunch and controls fermentation, not iodized.
Pickling spice adds warm, complex aromatics like mustard, coriander, bay leaf and cloves.
Black peppercorns give heat and floral bite, tiny nutritional effect but big flavor.

Ingredient Quantities

about 4 to 5 small Kirby pickling cucumbers, roughly 1 lb

2 to 3 fresh dill sprigs or 1 fresh dill head

2 to 3 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon pickling salt or kosher salt, non iodized

1 teaspoon pickling spice (optional)

1 teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)

1 bay leaf (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Wash jars and lids well and either run them through the hot cycle of your dishwasher or simmer them in hot water for 10 minutes to sterilize, then leave them hot until ready.

2. Rinse about 4 to 5 small Kirby cucumbers (roughly 1 lb), trim off the blossom ends, and if you want extra crunch chill them in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes before packing.

3. Into a hot jar add 2 to 3 fresh dill sprigs or 1 dill head, 2 to 3 peeled garlic cloves, and if using add 1 teaspoon pickling spice, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf.

4. Pack the cucumbers tight into the jar (vertical is fine) leaving about 1/2 inch headspace at the top.

5. In a small pot combine 1 1/2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity), 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon pickling salt (non iodized); bring to a boil and stir until the salt dissolves.

6. Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers so they are completely covered, keep 1/2 inch headspace, use a nonmetallic utensil to remove any air bubbles and top up with hot brine if needed.

7. Wipe the jar rim clean, center a lid and screw on the ring fingertip tight.

8. Place jars in a boiling water bath canner with at least 1 to 2 inches of water covering them, bring to a full boil and process pint jars for 10 minutes (quarts 15 minutes), then turn off heat.

9. Carefully remove jars and set them on a towel to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours; you should hear lids pop as they seal. Check seals, remove rings, wipe jars.

10. Label and store sealed jars in a cool dark place; wait at least 2 weeks for best flavor. If any jar didn’t seal refrigerate and use those pickles first.

Equipment Needed

1. Mason jars with lids and rings (pint or quart) – clean and hot
2. Large pot or water bath canner with lid big enough to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches
3. Small saucepan for heating the brine
4. Canning funnel (wide mouth) or a regular funnel that fits your jars
5. Jar lifter or long tongs to safely lift hot jars
6. Nonmetallic utensil (plastic chopstick or bubble remover) to push out air bubbles
7. Ladle plus measuring cups and measuring spoons
8. Paring knife and cutting board to trim cucumbers
9. Large bowl for an ice bath and a colander for rinsing the cucumbers

FAQ

Q: Can I use any cucumber for this recipe? A: You can but small Kirby or pickling cucumbers are best, theyre firmer and have fewer seeds so they stay crunchy. English or slicing cukes will work if thats all you got but they'll be softer and sometimes bitter.

Q: Why does the recipe call for non iodized salt? A: Iodized salt can make the brine cloudy and give a slightly off taste. Pickling salt or kosher salt (non iodized) dissolve cleanly and keep the flavor pure, so use them when you can.

Q: How long before the pickles are ready to eat? A: For quick refrigerator pickles you can taste them in 24 to 48 hours, they get better after about 3 days. If you want shelf stable jars you must use a tested canning method and process times, this simple brine alone doesnt guarantee safe long term storage.

Q: How do I keep the pickles crunchy? A: Use very fresh, cold cucumbers, trim the blossom end, and pack them snug. Add a grape leaf, horseradish leaf, or a pinch of calcium chloride (Pickle Crisp) for extra crunch. Dont use baking soda, it ruins texture and flavor.

Q: Can I swap the vinegar or change the spices? A: You can swap to apple cider vinegar or other 5 percent acidity vinegars, it will change the flavor though. Dont dilute the vinegar or use lower acidity, that can make the pickles unsafe. Spices like peppercorns, bay leaf, or pickling spice are optional so feel free to experiment.

Q: How long will these pickles keep in the fridge? A: Stored in an airtight jar in the fridge they usually last 4 to 8 weeks, sometimes longer if they stay fully submerged in brine. If you want pantry shelf life follow a proper canning recipe and processing schedule instead of just refrigerating.

Best Classic Dill Pickle Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Kirby pickling cucumbers: if you can’t find Kirbys use Persian cucumbers or small English cucumbers in the same amount, or use larger slicing cukes cut into spears and scoop out the seedy centers so they stay crunchy.
Fresh dill sprigs or head: swap 2 to 3 fresh sprigs for 1 teaspoon dill seed or about 1 tablespoon dried dill weed, know that dill seed gives a slightly warmer, different flavor.
White vinegar (5%): substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar at the same volume, just make sure the vinegar is 5 percent acidity so the brine is safe and tangy.
Pickling salt or kosher salt non iodized: fine sea salt or regular table salt will work, but use about three quarters the volume of fine table salt since it’s denser, and note iodized salt can sometimes change the pickle color a bit.

Pro Tips

– Chill the cucumbers in ice water before you pack em and trim the blossom ends; those ends have enzymes that can make pickles go soft. Ive done it the other way and ended up with soggy pickles.

– Use pickling salt or kosher salt, not table salt with iodine, and make sure it dissolves fully so the brine is clear. If the brine tastes off after it cools, you can adjust a bit before pouring.

– Pack jars snugly and pop out any air bubbles with a non metal utensil, then wipe the rim clean. Screw the lid on fingertip tight only, dont crank it down or it may not seal properly during processing.

– Let the jars cool undisturbed so the lids can pop, then check seals and remove the rings before storage. If any jar didnt seal, put it in the fridge and use it first, and give the sealed ones at least two weeks for best flavor.

Best Classic Dill Pickle Recipe

Recipe by Nikoli Athen

0.0 from 0 votes

I’m sharing my Classic Dill Pickle Recipe so you can start canning crunchy pickles at home to fill your pantry.

Servings

servings

Calories

kcal

Equipment: 1. Mason jars with lids and rings (pint or quart) – clean and hot
2. Large pot or water bath canner with lid big enough to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches
3. Small saucepan for heating the brine
4. Canning funnel (wide mouth) or a regular funnel that fits your jars
5. Jar lifter or long tongs to safely lift hot jars
6. Nonmetallic utensil (plastic chopstick or bubble remover) to push out air bubbles
7. Ladle plus measuring cups and measuring spoons
8. Paring knife and cutting board to trim cucumbers
9. Large bowl for an ice bath and a colander for rinsing the cucumbers

Ingredients

about 4 to 5 small Kirby pickling cucumbers, roughly 1 lb
2 to 3 fresh dill sprigs or 1 fresh dill head
2 to 3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon pickling salt or kosher salt, non iodized
1 teaspoon pickling spice (optional)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)

Directions

Wash jars and lids well and either run them through the hot cycle of your dishwasher or simmer them in hot water for 10 minutes to sterilize, then leave them hot until ready.
Rinse about 4 to 5 small Kirby cucumbers (roughly 1 lb), trim off the blossom ends, and if you want extra crunch chill them in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes before packing.
Into a hot jar add 2 to 3 fresh dill sprigs or 1 dill head, 2 to 3 peeled garlic cloves, and if using add 1 teaspoon pickling spice, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf.
Pack the cucumbers tight into the jar (vertical is fine) leaving about 1/2 inch headspace at the top.
In a small pot combine 1 1/2 cups white vinegar (5% acidity), 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon pickling salt (non iodized); bring to a boil and stir until the salt dissolves.
Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers so they are completely covered, keep 1/2 inch headspace, use a nonmetallic utensil to remove any air bubbles and top up with hot brine if needed.
Wipe the jar rim clean, center a lid and screw on the ring fingertip tight.
Place jars in a boiling water bath canner with at least 1 to 2 inches of water covering them, bring to a full boil and process pint jars for 10 minutes (quarts 15 minutes), then turn off heat.
Carefully remove jars and set them on a towel to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours; you should hear lids pop as they seal. Check seals, remove rings, wipe jars.
Label and store sealed jars in a cool dark place; wait at least 2 weeks for best flavor. If any jar didn’t seal refrigerate and use those pickles first.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.