Legume Free Whole30 Dill Pickles
Crunchy, garlicky, and packed with fresh dill, these refrigerator pickles are the kind of snack you'll find yourself reaching for straight out of the jar. The brine is built on apple cider vinegar, water, and sea salt — nothing processed, nothing hidden — so every ingredient is exactly what it sounds like. Legumes don't belong anywhere near a pickle jar anyway, but it's still worth knowing that this recipe is completely free of any bean-based additives or fillers that sometimes sneak into commercial pickling blends. Smashed garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and optional red pepper flakes give these spears serious depth without any shortcuts. The little trick of trimming the blossom end of each cucumber keeps them satisfyingly crisp rather than soft and sad, and the optional grape leaves take that texture even further. After just 48 hours in the fridge, you've got a tangy, snappy pickle that blows any store-bought jar out of the water.
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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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