You can make these dill pickles at home by making a simple brine and marinating overnight. Stock your fridge with this tasty healthy snack.

Homemade dill pickles can be yours in no time! I made a big jar of these for our Gr8 Renaissance Faire dinner last fall, and wow were they good!
I searched several recipes and this one was the winner, hands down! You'd think they'd need to sit in the brine for days or weeks, right? Nope! You'll practically be grabbing them from the jar before they hit the fridge! But give them at least overnight...they'll be ready for tasting by the next day, and will keep refrigerated for up 2 months...if they last that long!
Edited from the last publication on February 11, 2016.
Classic Dill Pickles
Ingredients
For the brine:
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons of a combination of peppercorns, coriander seeds, and mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon dill seeds
- 2 cups water
For the pickles:
- 2 pounds Kirby cucumbers, quartered*
- ½ large bunch dill sprigs, coarsely chopped, stems included
- 1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed
- Hot brine
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
Special equipment:
- 2 one-quart canning jars with lids
Instructions
For the brine
- Place both vinegars in a medium to large saucepan.
- Add sea salt, sugar and spices (combination of peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds) and dill seeds, along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
For the pickles
- Between the jars, evenly divide the cucumbers (quartered), chopped dill bunches, red pepper flakes, crushed garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons peppercorns and caraway seeds.
- Pour the hot brine into jars (evenly divided).
- Cover. Let cool and chill.**
Debbie
Lon, after searching for the Kirby cucumbers online, at the market and at local farmers markets, I found out they're seasonal, and apparently not a fall vegetable! This recipe and a few others say that the Persian cucumbers are a good substitute, and they were! I will, however, keep my eyes open during the spring and summer, to see if I can find them. I am very curious to know (and taste!) what the difference will be! Thank you for being one of our Gr8 fans!
Claudia Kerns
Where do you find Kirby cucumbers?
Debbie
A fresh, crunchy and homemade, no less, dill pickle...can't beat that right Brenda?! They were way easier to make than I thought. No need to sit and brine for weeks! You can dig into the jar in a few hours! Thanks so much for your Gr8 support!
Brenda Perlin
Yum. These look so good. Thank you.