Ginger Free Classic Dill Pickles
Crunchy, garlicky, and packed with fresh dill flavor, these homemade refrigerator pickles are the kind of thing you'll want to keep stocked in your fridge at all times. So many commercial pickle brands sneak in unexpected spices or natural flavoring blends that can be hard to verify, so making your own from scratch puts you completely in control of every single ingredient. The brine is a simple combination of distilled white vinegar, water, kosher salt, and just a touch of sugar — clean, straightforward, and completely free of anything you didn't put in there yourself. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber before packing is a small but smart step that keeps the texture satisfyingly snappy rather than soft. A grape leaf or horseradish leaf tucked into the jar is an optional old-school trick that also helps maintain that satisfying crunch. After just 48 hours in the fridge, you've got bright, tangy, deeply flavored pickles that are perfect alongside sandwiches, burgers, or honestly eaten straight from the jar.
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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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