Nightshade Free Classic Dill Pickles
Crunchy, garlicky, and loaded with fresh dill flavor, these homemade pickles are the kind of thing you'll want to keep stocked in the fridge at all times. For anyone avoiding nightshades, store-bought pickles can be a minefield — many brands sneak in red pepper or paprika-based spices that quietly push them off the safe list. This recipe keeps things clean and straightforward, relying on vinegar brine, garlic, fresh dill, mustard seeds, and black peppercorns to build serious flavor without any problematic additions. The optional red pepper flakes are easy to skip entirely, and every other ingredient here is naturally in the clear. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber and packing the jars tightly are small steps that make a real difference in getting that satisfying snap. Grape or horseradish leaves are a clever optional touch that helps keep the texture firm all the way through the jar. After just 48 hours in the fridge, you'll have bright, tangy spears that are genuinely better than anything you'd pull off a grocery store shelf.
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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)
Can be omittedred pepper flakes
- 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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