Recipes & Cooking How to Cook Preserving & Canning Best Ever Dill Pickles 3.6 (113) 10 Reviews Use this easy dill pickle recipe to transform cucumbers into the star of your sandwich. By Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts is an editor and author who has nearly three decades of writing and editing experience. She enjoys writing about garden, food, and home topics. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other publications. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 21, 2024 Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden As a food expert, Colleen Weeden has written extensively for Better Homes & Gardens. From airfryer tips to advice on how to poach an egg, she shares her passion for food with practical, easy-to-follow tips. She has also contributed to Midwest Living magazine. Learn more about the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 36 Yield: 6 pints Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe This is the best dill pickle recipe in our recipe collection. In just 40 minutes, you can make six pints of homemade dill pickles for your family and friends with just cucumbers, pickling salt, dill seeds, sugar, and white vinegar. You’ll also find four unique pickle recipes (including hot garlic pickles, sweet dill pickles, crunchy dill and onion chips, and refrigerator pickles) below to change up this canned dill pickle recipe into exactly the kind of pickle you love to eat. Andy Lyons What Are the Best Cucumbers for Pickling? The best cucumbers for pickling are small, firm, without blemishes, and with a high skin-to-flesh ratio to keep them crisp. The cucumbers we prefer for this purpose include Kirby, Persian, and gherkin varieties. Look for the best pickling cucumbers at your local farmers' market in early to midsummer. Choose cucumbers that are firm and bright with no soft spots. If possible, pickle them as soon as you can for the best texture and flavor. Test Kitchen Tip: If pickling cucumbers aren't available, use regular-size cucumbers from the garden. Do not use waxed cucumbers that are sold in the supermarket. What Else Can I Add To Dill Pickles? Making pickles at home offers the opportunity to get creative. Enhance your pickles by adding lightly crushed garlic cloves, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, celery seeds or coriander seeds into the jars. Add a fresh touch with fresh dill, sliced onions, carrots, radishes, cauliflower, bell peppers, jalapeños, pearl onions, and more. As you get comfortable making your own pickles at home, you can experiment to find the exact combination that you and your family love. Tips for Crisp Dill Pickles Every Time If there's one thing we love most about homemade pickles, it might be that perfectly crisp texture. For the best dill pickles, keep these tips in mind: Use pickling cucumbers: Pickling cucumbers are small, firm, and with a thick skin that won't break down easily during the pickling process.Scrub the skin: To remove any dirt or debris for crisp, clean pickles.Trim the ends: Trimming the blossom end of the cucumbers before pickling is said to stop an enzyme that causes the cucumbers to soften over time.Use a strong brine: Using a brine with the right balance of salt and vinegar is key to pulling out excess moisture from the cucumbers as they pickle.Avoid over-processing: Process the jars for only the amount of time called for to avoid heating the mixture for too long.Store properly: Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year, avoiding direct sunlight or temperature fluctuations. 19 Pickling Recipes That Go Way Beyond Cucumbers Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 3 - 3 ¼ lbs. small pickling cucumbers 4 cups water 4 cups white vinegar ½ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup pickling salt 6 Tbsp. dill seeds Directions BHG / Andrea Araiza Wash the Cucumbers Thoroughly scrub cucumbers with a soft vegetable brush in plenty of cold running water. BHG / Andrea Araiza Cut Cucumbers Remove stems and blossoms; slice off each blossom end. Cut cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. BHG / Andrea Araiza Boil Water In a 4- to 5-qt. stainless steel, enameled, or nonstick pot combine water, vinegar, sugar and pickling salt. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add Cucumbers to Jars Pack cucumber spears loosely into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Add 1 tablespoon dillseeds to each jar. BHG / Andrea Araiza Pour Mixture Over Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumbers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Discard any remaining hot vinegar mixture. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands. BHG / Andrea Araiza Process Jars Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). BHG / Andrea Araiza Remove and Store Remove jars from canner; cool on a wire rack. Let stand at room temperature 1 week before serving. Makes 6 pints. How To Store Dill Pickles Store properly sealed jars of dill pickles in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Store opened jars in the refrigerator for up to three months, checking for signs of spoilage before serving. If you're canning for the first time, be sure to check the seals after processing to make sure the jars are tight and secure. Store in a cool, dark place, avoiding temperature fluctuations or direct sunlight. Check for spoilage before and after opening. Homemade Dill Pickles Recipe Variations Hot Garlic Pickles: Prepare as directed, except substitute cider vinegar for the white vinegar. Before packing cucumbers in jars, add 1 to 2 fresh Thai chile peppers and 2 cloves garlic halved, to each jar. Makes 6 pints.Sweet Dill Pickles: Prepare as above except increase sugar to 3 cups. Makes 6 pints.Crunchy Dill and Onion Chips: In an extra-large bowl combine 12 cups sliced pickling cucumbers, 2 cups thinly sliced onions, and ⅓ cup pickling salt. Set a large nonreactive colander in an extra-large nonreactive bowl. In the colander alternately layer cucumber mixture and crushed ice, ending with a layer of crushed ice. Weight down mixture with a heavy plate. Chill 8 to 24 hours. Remove any ice remaining in cucumber mixture; discard any liquid in bowl. In a 4- to 5-qt. nonreactive heavy pot combine 4 cups water, 4 cups white vinegar, and ½ cup sugar. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pack cucumbers and onions in jars as directed in Step 4 and continue as directed. Makes 5 pints. How to Make Refrigerator Pickles Prepare as directed through step 5, except add 1 or 2 sprigs fresh dill to each jar. Store pickles in the refrigerator up to 1 month. Makes 6 pints. Frequently Asked Questions What's the difference between kosher dill and regular dill pickles? Kosher dill pickles are made in the traditional Jewish, New York deli-style, with lots of garlic in the brine. Which vinegar is best for dill pickles? Whether you use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (which would both make good options), make sure the vinegar you're using has at least 5% acidity for a balanced brine. Can I use fresh dill in the place of dill seeds for pickles? Yes—You can use fresh dill, if preferred, for homemade dill pickles. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 25 Calories 5g Carbs Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 36 Calories 25 % Daily Value * Sodium 859mg 37% Total Carbohydrate 5g 2% Total Sugars 4g Vitamin C 1.8mg 2% Calcium 20.2mg 2% Iron 0.4mg 2% Potassium 78mg 2% Folate, total 4mcg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.