Artificial Food Coloring Free Classic Dill Pickles
Store-bought pickles are one of those sneaky products that can hide artificial dyes — some brands use yellow or green colorants to make their jars look more vibrant on the shelf. Making your own means every single ingredient is something you chose and can actually pronounce. These crisp spears get their gorgeous color entirely from real cucumbers, fresh dill, and a clean vinegar brine, with zero synthetic additives in sight. The brine comes together in just a few minutes on the stove, and the combination of garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and dill seeds gives you that deeply savory, tangy flavor that makes a great pickle genuinely great. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber is a small but smart step that keeps them snappy rather than soft after brining. Optional grape or horseradish leaves add an old-school touch that helps maintain that satisfying crunch. After 48 hours in the fridge, you'll have jars of bright, bold pickles that make the store-bought version feel completely unnecessary.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 lbs kirby or persian cucumbers (about 8–10 small cucumbers)
- 1 ½ cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh dill
- 1 tsp dill seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 2 grape leaves or 2 horseradish leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim about 1/8 inch off the blossom end (the end opposite the stem) of each cucumber — this removes enzymes that can soften the pickles. Cut the cucumbers into spears by halving lengthwise, then halving again, or slice into 1/4-inch rounds.
- 2
Divide the garlic, fresh dill sprigs, dill seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes (if using) evenly between two clean wide-mouth quart mason jars. If using grape or horseradish leaves, place one in each jar against the inside wall.
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