Peanut 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 from apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and water — no added sugars, no preservatives, and nothing hiding in the ingredient list that would raise a red flag. Mustard seeds, black peppercorns, smashed garlic, and optional red pepper flakes layer in serious flavor without any complicated sourcing. The optional grape leaves are a clever touch that helps keep the spears genuinely crisp rather than soft and sad after a few days in the fridge. Store-bought pickles can be a minefield of additives and shared-facility warnings, so making your own means you know exactly what went into every jar. Pack the cucumbers in tight, give them 48 hours to soak up all that tangy brine, and you'll have a batch that holds up beautifully as a snack, a burger topper, or a crunchy side alongside just about anything.
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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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