BHA & BHT Free Classic Dill Pickles
Store-bought pickles are one of those sneaky products that often contain preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, which means label-reading becomes a whole project just to grab a jar off the shelf. Making your own at home puts you completely in control of every single ingredient, and this recipe keeps things beautifully clean — just cucumbers, vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and a lineup of whole spices and fresh aromatics. The brine is a simple stovetop mix of distilled white vinegar, kosher salt, and a touch of sugar, poured hot over tightly packed spears or rounds layered with fresh dill, garlic, peppercorns, and mustard seeds. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber is a smart little trick that keeps the texture snappy rather than soft, and the optional grape or horseradish leaves add an extra layer of crunch if you want to go all in. Everything goes into mason jars, cools down, and heads straight to the fridge — no canning equipment, no complicated process. After 48 hours, you've got tangy, garlicky, genuinely satisfying pickles that taste far better than anything in a plastic-lined jar at the grocery store. They keep for up to three weeks in the fridge, though honestly they tend to disappear much faster than that.
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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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