BHA & BHT Free Whole30 Dill Pickles
Crunchy, garlicky, and loaded with fresh dill, these refrigerator pickles are the kind of snack you'll find yourself reaching for straight out of the jar. Most store-bought pickles sneak in preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, so making your own is really the only way to know exactly what's in the brine. Here, the preserving work is done entirely by apple cider vinegar and sea salt — clean, simple ingredients that do the job beautifully without any chemical additives. The optional grape leaves are a clever touch, adding natural tannins that keep the spears genuinely crisp rather than soft and sad. Smashed garlic, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and a pinch of red pepper flakes give the brine real depth, so these taste far more complex than anything you'd grab off a grocery shelf. After just 48 hours in the fridge, you've got bold, tangy pickles that work alongside burgers, chopped into salads, or honestly just eaten straight as a snack.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 2 lbs pickling cucumbers (about 8 small)
- 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 sprigs fresh dill
- 4 large grape leaves or ½ tsp food-grade tannin powder (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim 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 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 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and let the brine cool for 5 minutes.
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