Peanut 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 your fridge at all times. The brine is a simple mix of distilled white vinegar, water, kosher salt, and a touch of sugar, with whole peppercorns, mustard seeds, and optional red pepper flakes rounding out that classic pickle-jar aroma. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber is a small but smart step that keeps the texture snappy rather than soft — a detail that separates a great pickle from a mediocre one. Store-bought pickles can be a surprisingly murky situation when it comes to shared production lines and mystery additives, so making your own means you know exactly what went into the jar. The optional grape or horseradish leaves are a traditional trick for maintaining that satisfying crunch all the way through the batch. Pack the jars tight, pour over the hot brine, and let the fridge do the rest — within 48 hours you'll have tangy, deeply seasoned spears ready to go alongside sandwiches, burgers, or honestly just 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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