Dill Pickles
Updated Dec 28, 2025
Easy homemade dill pickles made with pickling cucumbers, garlic, dill, and a simple vinegar brine. Ready in 24 hours and stored in the fridge.
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Homemade dill pickles are soo good!
I started making dill pickles at home once I realized how little effort it actually takes and how much better they taste than the store-bought kind. This is a quick pickle situation, not a big canning project just cucumbers, a simple brine, and a little patience overnight. I like that I can make them sliced, speared, or whole depending on what I have on hand, and they’re ready to eat the next day. Once I started keeping a jar of these homemade dill pickles in the fridge, I stopped buying pickles altogether.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Dill Pickle Ingredients
- Pickling cucumbers: These are also called Kirby cucumbers. Use gherkins if you’d like a sweeter pickle.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, just peel and smash the cloves.
- Dill: I use dried dill for the strongest flavor.
- Mustard seeds, Black Peppercorns, Bay Leaves : Mustard seeds act as a natural preservative and add spice so don’t skip them. Black peppercorns and bay leaves can be omitted, but they add flavor and enhance crunch.
- White vinegar: Use distilled white vinegar because it has a neutral flavor and acidity to preserve the cucumbers without affecting their taste. You want the vinegar to be at least 5% acidity, which should be noted on the label.
- Kosher salt: Kosher salt is best due to its pure, coarse texture and clean flavor.
How to Make Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Dill Pickles Recipe
Learn how to make homemade dill pickles with cucumbers, garlic, dill weed, and a quick vinegar brine. No canning required. Easy, quick pickling guide! Makes slices, spears, and whole dill pickles!
Ingredients
- 4 pickling cucumbers
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 teaspoons dill weed
- 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves crushed
- ½ cup white distilled vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Wash the mason jar in preparation for making refrigerator pickles or see notes for sterilizing for long term canning.
- Cut the cucumber into spears or slices or leave whole, as desired.
- Place the cucumbers into a 32-ounce jar. Add the garlic, dill, mustard seeds, pepper and bay leaves.
- Bring the vinegar, water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and pour the brine over the pickles, covering them completely and tightly, but making sure to leave about ½-inch of space from the top. Tighten the lids very securely.
- Allow the jars to cool completely to room temperature and their flavor will develop as they cool. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before opening the jars. Keep stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
Notes
- My Top Tip: Make sure to trim the stem end of the cucumber. This contains enzymes that can affect how crispy the pickles get.
- Storage: These will stay fresh for 2 to 3 weeks when kept in the fridge. Use a clean utensil when serving so you don’t introduce bacteria to the jar.
- For Longer Storage, can the pickles: First, bring a large pot of water to a boil and fully sterilize the jars and lids by submerging them in the boiling water. Once sterilized, dry them using a clean kitchen towel but keep warm. After sealing the jars, place them back in a new pot of boiling water for 10 minutes for pint jars and 15 minutes for quart jars to complete the canning process. As the jars cool, you will hear the canning lids pop down, indicating a proper seal. You can safely remove the jars from the boiling water at that point. When removed, check the lids. They should not ‘pop’ or flex when pressed. Then, tighten the jars and keep in a cool dry place for 1 year. Once opened, store in the fridge for 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 15kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.03g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 438mg, Potassium: 115mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Tips
- Add sugar, if desired. If you like a sweeter pickle, add 1 tablespoon sugar in when you cook the brine.
- Whole pickles may take a little longer. Because they are much larger, you may find it best to let them sit longer than the sliced and speared pickles to be sure the brine penetrates completely through your cucumbers.
- For extra crunch, salt them first. If you have time you can lightly salt the cucumber slices or spears and let them sit in a colander for about 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry before proceeding with the recipe. This draws out excess moisture for that signature snap most pickles have. This won’t work with whole cucumbers.
Serving Ideas
- Along side or on top of Grilled Turkey Burgers, White Bean Avocado Sandwiches or Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Chopped up and mixed into Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad or Avocado Chicken Salad for added flavor
- In my Pickle Salad recipe which makes a great summer side or meal prep salad.
- Use any leftover brine in this Chicken Tender recipe.
