Quick and Easy Dill Pickle Recipe | Crunchy Homemade Pickles
Crisp, garlicky refrigerator dill pickles made with a quick hot brine and fresh dill for deli-level crunch and bright flavor. Ready to enjoy within a day and perfect for spears or chips.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small pickling cucumbers (Kirby or Persian; firm and unwaxed)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
- 3 tablespoons pickling salt (or kosher salt without additives)
- 2 teaspoons sugar (optional but recommended)
- 6–8 garlic cloves, smashed
- 8–10 fresh dill sprigs (plus more for packing)
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 1 small onion or 2 shallots, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon calcium chloride (Pickle Crisp) (optional but great for extra crunch)
Instructions
Instructions
- Wash and dry the cucumbers, trim about 1/8 inch from the blossom end, and cut into spears, chips, or leave whole if small.
- Divide dill sprigs, smashed garlic, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes between two quart jars, adding onion slices if using.
- Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jars, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace; if using calcium chloride, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon per quart jar over the cucumbers.
- Combine water, white vinegar, pickling salt, and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and stir until fully dissolved; adjust brine to taste if desired.
- Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers to cover, tap jars and slide a utensil along the sides to release air bubbles, and top up to maintain 1/2 inch headspace.
- Wipe rims, seal with lids, and let the jars cool at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Refrigerate the jars, start tasting at 12 hours, and for best flavor and crunch wait 24 to 48 hours; keep cucumbers submerged under the brine.
Notes
This is a refrigerator pickle recipe and not shelf-stable; keep jars cold at all times and enjoy within 4–6 weeks. Use 5% vinegar, pickling or kosher salt without additives, and very fresh cucumbers with blossom ends trimmed for maximum crunch. Optional variations include adding coriander and bay for deli style, extra garlic and jalapeño for heat, lemon zest for brightness, more sugar for sweet-and-tangy, or swapping half the vinegar for apple cider vinegar with celery seed for bread-and-butter vibes.