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    Home » Gluten free » Super Easy Dill Pickles

    Super Easy Dill Pickles

    August 1, 2014 by Tracy | Updated July 28, 2021 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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    Use those fresh garden cucumbers and make these Super Easy Dill Pickles from scratch for your own crunchy, dill, pickle treat! #homemade #recipe #dillpickles #easy

    Use those fresh garden cucumbers and make these Super Easy Dill Pickles from scratch for your own crunchy, dill, pickle treat!

    dill pickles on a plate.

    Welcome to Cucumber Season! One of my favorite parts of summer, all of the fresh fruits and veggies. Nothing beats a cucumber straight from the garden. Except making those fresh from the garden cucumbers in these Super Easy Dill Pickles!

    With very limited effort and a little time in the fridge, you can turn those garden cucumbers into homemade dill pickle spears!

    The Best Cucumbers for Pickles

    cucumbers sliced in spears.

    These cucumbers are Japanese Cucumbers, but really you can use any kind of cucumber for pickles. Most often, you'll see Kirby Cucumbers or Pickling Cucumbers used, but if you don't have any in your garden, have no fear!

    Japanese or even English Cucumbers make a great pickle. The standard cucumbers that you get in the grocery store are typically American Slicing. They're a little less firm, have a slightly higher water content, and often a kind of waxy coating, which is why they're best for recipes that require peeled cucumbers.  I would avoid using a thicker cucumber with bigger seeds like Lemon or Burpless cucumbers for this recipe.

    Ingredients Needed

    dill pickle spears on a plate.
    • Cucumbers - Japanese, Kirby, or English!
    • Baby Dill - Unlike regular dill, baby dill has a much more delicate dill flavor and the plant itself small and tender. I think that it works best for this recipe and looks better in the jar.
    • Garlic - Fresh is best, but you can also use powder if that's all you have. See recipe notes.
    • Yellow Mustard Seed and Coriander Seeds- Yellow, not brown! Brown is much hotter and more pungent than yellow.
    • Red Pepper Flakes and Black Peppercorns - For a little heat and kick!
    • Salt and Water - A pickling salt is best for the brine, but you could also use a Kosher salt, too.

    Easy to Make

    open jars of pickles and spices.

    Step 1: Slice your pickles into spears and pack them into large mason jars.

    Step 2: Add garlic, dill, mustard, red pepper flakes, and peppercorns to jar and mix water and salt in a measuring cup with a pour spout.

    jarred pickles.

    Step 3: Loosely seal the jars and let the cucumber spears ferment in a cool dry place.

    an open mason jar of dill pickles.

    After 3 days of fermenting, check for bubbly and cloudly jars which is a sign of fermentation.

    Now is a good time to check your pickles to see if they have the right amount of crunch and flavor. If you want more flavor, you can continue to ferment for up to 7 days. If they're ready, then you can fully seal and store in the fridge.

    an open jar and dill pickle spears on plate.

    Yuummm.  Great briny flavor, with just the right texture. Not too crisp like a raw cucumber but just enough.  Definitely not a limp pickle, which no one likes. So. Easy. Even better, it's almost truly from scratch since I grew the cucumbers myself!

    Pickle Making Tips

    • Be sure to use kosher salt or another non-iodized salt.
    • Be sure that the cucumbers are completely submerged in the brine. You can do this by either using a fermentation weight or even just a little plastic bag filled with (more) brine placed on top of the cucumbers.
    • During the fermentation process, put your lids on loosely, this will allow the gases to escape.
    • Place the jars on a baking tray to be able to catch any overflow from the fermentation process.

    Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

    If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!

    Use those fresh garden cucumbers and make these Super Easy Dill Pickles from scratch for your own crunchy, dill, pickle treat!

    Super Easy Dill Pickles

    Use those fresh garden cucumbers and make these Super Easy Dill Pickles from scratch for your own crunchy, dill, pickle treat!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 3 days days
    Author: Tracy

    Ingredients

    • 5 medium to large fresh cucumbers
    • 4 cloves fresh garlic
    • 4 sprigs of fresh dill
    • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
    • 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
    • 1/4 teaspoon whole peppercorns
    • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 2 tablespoons pickling salt or kosher salt
    • 2 cups water

    Instructions

    • Slice your cucumbers into spears or if small pickling cucumbers, keep whole.
    • Pack them into a quart jars, super tight.
    • Add garlic, dill, mustard, coriander, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes in on top.
    • In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of pickling salt or kosher salt until it dissolves. Pour in water over cucumbers and spices into jars (or as much of the water that fits). Be sure that the cucumbers are completely submerged in the water. See recipe notes.
    • Loosly cover the jars with lids, place on a baking sheet or plate to collect brine overflow and store in a cool dry place to ferment for at least 3 days
    • After 3 days test your pickles for flavor and crunch. If to your liking, put jars in fridge to stop fermentation process.

    Notes

    Pickles will keep for about 6 months in the fridge.
    Keeping Pickles Submerged:  If they are packed tightly enough, they may stay submerged, but if not, then you can use either fermentation weights, or a plastic bag filled with additional brine to keep them weighted down.
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag me @ServedFromScratch or use #ServedFromScratch!

     

    Super easy, SO delicious, Dill Pickles from scratch!

    Easy Ways to Start

    Cooking from Scratch!

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    a tray of dinner rolls with one roll out.

    5

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    Comments

    1. Tina Marie

      September 18, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      This brings me back to my childhood. I remember those large jars of pickles at the corner store! Yum! We would have one of those gigantic pickles with some local deer jerky! Wow, I forgot all about it until I saw your amazing recipe.

      Reply
    2. toko tommee tippee

      August 23, 2014 at 10:37 pm

      So fun!! 🙂

      Reply
    3. MamaD1xx4xy

      August 03, 2014 at 6:07 am

      We all love pickles too! I have had my share of failures in the past. This year I finally managed to make some good ones using our itty bitty Mexican gherkins. Meta sty and cute!

      Reply
      • Tracy

        August 04, 2014 at 10:57 am

        Oooh Mexican gherkins?? Yum!! I kind of wish I had some smaller cucumbers coming out of our garden so I could pickle them whole. I'll have to keep an eye out for gherkin plants next summer!

        Reply
    4. Sadia Mohamed

      August 03, 2014 at 4:52 am

      Drool! I soo love pickles. 🙂

      Reply
      • Tracy

        August 04, 2014 at 10:56 am

        😀

        Reply
    5. Traditionally Modern Food

      August 02, 2014 at 8:29 pm

      Love pickles:-) yum yum

      Reply
      • Tracy

        August 04, 2014 at 10:56 am

        I second that yum yum! 😉

        Reply
    6. Arl's World

      August 02, 2014 at 6:46 pm

      I grew up eating these ...so good! My Dad use to pickle cucumbers, fresh out of the garden. I never got his recipe. Now I can use this one! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
      • Tracy

        August 04, 2014 at 10:56 am

        So happy to share it! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Hilda

      August 02, 2014 at 5:20 pm

      I have some of these on the go right now. It's good to see how others do them, as I find fermenting is fun, but there is always something more to learn about flavours and slightly different techniques. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Tracy

        August 04, 2014 at 10:55 am

        Yum! It is fun to see all the different recipes! There are so many flavor and techniques; I'm excited to try more 🙂

        Reply
    8. cookingwithauntjuju.com

      August 02, 2014 at 2:32 pm

      I am a big "pickle" fan and your recipe will be added to my list of "to do" before the summer is over 🙂

      Reply
      • Tracy

        August 04, 2014 at 10:55 am

        Oh yay!! 😀

        Reply
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    Mom of two, lover of cheese, spinach, and replacing a box or jar of premade anything with a from scratch version. Here you'll find our whole foods recipes that'll add some easy, approachable from scratch flair to your cooking! Read More…

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