Artificial Flavors Free Whole30 Dill Pickles
Store-bought pickles are one of those sneaky products where artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives tend to hide in plain sight on the ingredient label. Making your own from scratch means you know exactly what's going in the jar ā and with this recipe, every ingredient is clean, whole, and real. The brine is built on apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and water, while fresh dill, smashed garlic, black peppercorns, and mustard seeds do all the heavy lifting on flavor. Trimming the blossom end of each cucumber is a small but smart step that keeps the texture snappy rather than soft, and the optional grape leaves add an extra layer of crunch without any mystery additives. Packed tightly into mason jars and left to chill for 48 hours, these spears come out bold, garlicky, and seriously satisfying. They're the kind of fridge staple you'll want to keep stocked at all times ā great alongside burgers, chopped into salads, or eaten straight from the jar.
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Learn more āIngredients
8 servings
- 2 lbs pickling cucumbers (about 8 small)
- 1 Ā½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 Ā½ cups water
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Ā½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 sprigs fresh dill
- 4 large grape leaves or Ā½ tsp food-grade tannin powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim 1/8 inch off the blossom end (the end opposite the stem) of each cucumber ā 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 if you prefer chips.
- 2
Combine the apple cider vinegar, water, and sea salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the salt is fully dissolved, about 2ā3 minutes. Remove from heat and let the brine cool for 5 minutes.
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