The Best Homemade Pickles You’ll Ever Make
We love pickling! Especially, when it means we get to enjoy a crunchy bite of a homemade pickle. And you should, too! It’s rewarding and a surefire way to use your abundant summer harvest of cucumbers you’ve picked up at your local farmers market – or grown yourself! You’ll be glad to say goodbye to buying jars of pickles from the grocery store once you’ve tasted these crispy, refreshing, and dill-filled, homemade pickles. In fact, we think these easy-to-make dill pickles will be your new favorite summertime recipe. Pop off the lid and grab one (or two!) for a zesty snack. Making multiple jars at a time ensures that on the hottest summer days when you don’t feel like cooking in the kitchen, you’ll have the quickest addition to any backyard BBQ dish.
What Type of Cucumber Makes the Best Pickle?
If you’re wondering what makes a good pickle, the answer is selecting the right cucumber! While this task may seem daunting at first – we’re here to break it down for you! The bread and butter of selecting cucumbers consists of knowing the two varieties: slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers. Slicing cucumbers are the most common - such as English cucumbers - and have thinner skin and are not as crunchy. These are great for salads, such as in our easy cucumber salad recipe. Pickling cucumbers have thicker skin, are a bit shorter, and contribute a crunch and snap to your perfect homemade pickle! Look for varieties such as Kirby - sometimes even known as the pickling cucumber - or Boston Pickling. Make sure you choose cucumbers that will fit in your jar if you decide to pickle spears, but for these easy dill pickles we will be slicing them into rounds.
How Long Does It Take To Turn A Cucumber Into A Pickle
With this easy homemade refrigerator pickle recipe, in about 24 hours you’ll have the perfect, tangy pickle. The best part? They’ll keep for about 4 weeks, but we doubt they’ll last that long. You’ll find traditional canned pickles take much longer, but with our quick pickling recipe, in half the time you’ll have the same delicious flavor!
Is Pickle Juice Just Vinegar?
For a quick answer to your question, no. But picking does require vinegar! Enter, brine. A brine is a basic mixture of vinegar, salt, and sugar. Most of the time, spices are added to zest up the flavor, as seen here in our homemade pickle recipe. Making a brine is required for pickling and beautifully preserves the cucumbers, attributing to the flavor and the bite. But what type of vinegar is best for pickling? For our homemade pickles, which use a quick pickling method thanks to the refrigerator, we use good, old-fashioned, distilled white vinegar. This common pickling vinegar is mellow and one-noted. It adjusts the acid level of the brine without the addition of too many complex flavors or colors, keeping your pickles tangy and bright. Other choices for vinegar include apple cider vinegar which has a more distinct flavor and color. You can learn more about all the different types of vinegar through our Pantry Essentials Guide to Vinegars.
How to Make Homemade Dill Pickles
Select the Perfect Pickle! For the best homemade pickles, make sure you ask your local grocer (or farmers market!) for a specific type of pickling pickle such as Kirby or Boston. If you grew them yourself, even better!
Slice your Sweet Onions and Cucumbers! Adding thinly sliced onions to your pickles is basically a 2 for 1! You can use the onions on burgers, salads, and more for the perfect bite. When slicing your cucumbers, be sure to cut them into 1/4 inch thick, even rounds.
Crush your Spices! Using a mortar and pestle to crush fresh spices will elevate your pickle game and give these homemade pickles a burst of flavor.
Make Your Brine! Combine the salt, sugar, distilled white vinegar, and spices together to create a flavorful brine for your soon-to-be pickles.
Pack and Relax! Once your pickles are packed to brim and sealed with a tight-fitting lid, sit back and let the refrigerator do the work! We know it’s hard to wait, but in 24 hours you’ll have perfect pickles.
Tools You’ll Need To Make The Best Homemade Pickle Recipe
Recipes To Make With Your Homemade Dill Pickles
These pickles are amazing on their own but also add a crunchy cool umph to any meal. Some of our favorite pairings include:
But, if you love pickling as much as we do, you can also try your hand at making these fun variations too:
These are a Pretty Big Dill!
Snap a photo or maybe even a video of your freshly made Homemade Dill Pickles! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
