These Easy Homemade Dill Pickles are a treat for your summer picnics. They’re crisp and tangy and perfect alongside a sandwich or atop a burger!
Hi folks and welcome back to Simple Saturday at the BHK! I figured, with BBQ season in full swing there’s nothing better than a delicious homemade dill pickle to go with all those fat, juicy burgers and dogs you’ll be grilling up!
I think most people think making your own pickles is too hard and time consuming. Well surprise! It’s incredibly simple! The first time I made my own homemade pickles was over 20 years ago with my Gram. My grandmother was one of 11 children and her father was a farmer. Gram helped out on the farm and then helped her mother in the kitchen with all the canning and preserving. She taught me how simple making your own pickles really is and I’ve been making them homemade ever since.
You’ll need some kirby cucumbers, fresh dill, distilled white vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, mustard seed and some red pepper flakes to spice it up. Definitely look for kirby cucumbers because they are the perfect pickling cucumber and they tend to remain crunchier than other varieties. You’ll also need a large heatproof nonreactive bowl (glass, stainless steel or ceramic) and a mandoline if you have one. I like to use a mandoline so all my slices are uniform in size. If you don’t have a mandoline, no problem, just try to slice the cucumbers roughly 1/4 inch in size.
These pickles are crunchy, tart and take less than 30 minutes to prepare and will last for about 2 weeks in your refrigerator. If you need them for a weekend BBQ, I would make them 48 hours in advance because each day they improve with flavor. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend! See you back at the BHK on Monday morning friends!
Ingredients
- 3-4 kirby cucumbers about 3/4-1 pound, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1/4 cup fresh dill leaves chopped
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Toss the cucumbers and dill in a large heatproof glass, stainless steel or ceramic bowl.
- In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, peppercorns and red pepper flakes. Bring to a low boil, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve.
- Pour the mixture over the cucumbers and stir until well combined.
- Let sit at room temperature until cooled.
- Place in a large jar and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
I have not yet tried making homemade pickles. What am I afraid of? You make them look super easy, so I guess I’ll give it a spin. Have a great weekend!
Don’t be afraid! These are so easy! Hope your weekend is fabulous too!
These look so great Mary Ann! Nothing like a good pickle with juicy burgers!
Agreed Alida! Have a great weekend! I hope you enjoy these if you give them a try!
I love anything and everything pickled but have never made my own pickles! Can’t wait till my cucumbers are grown! thanks.
Definitely give them a go Mimi! They’re so easy and so delicious! Perfect for those summer BBQ’s!
Love the idea of easy dill pickles. My daughter is a dill pickle fiend and I can’t seem to keep them in the house. I’m thinking making our own is definitely the way to go :)
Yes! She’ll love them Jennifer and you’ll love how easy they are to make! Enjoy your weekend!
There’s nothing better than homemade dill pickles. I love how easy and approachable your recipe is!
I agree Laura! Thanks so much!!
Homemade anything always tastes a billion times better than store bought, right?! Love these pickles, Mary Ann!! When I saw them on social media I knew I’d have to come check these out as soon as I got home from vacation. They look absolutely DELICIOUS! Honestly, I’m a pickle girl, so I could make a meal out of just these — as weird as that sounds. ;) Love that this is something you and your grandmother use to do together!! Thanks for sharing it with us, friend!! Pinned! Cheers!
Absolutely Cheyanne! I think most people think making pickles is hard, but it’s honestly sooo easy! I hope you guys had a great time on your vacation. So glad the weather finally cooperated!
I love pickles, my girlfriend just brought me a jar and I enjoyed them tremendously. If I can find Kirby cucumbers I will make your great looking recipe. I hope you had a great weekend.
I just love them Gerlinde. I hope you can find them. They improve in flavor each day! My weekend was great. Hope yours was too. Enjoy your week!
This pickle recipe sounds wonderful. I like simple recipes.
Then definitely give these a try Sheryl! They’re perfect with burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. Enjoy and thanks so much for commenting!
Oh, I definitely have to try these, Mary Ann! They look delicious and I’m sure a million times better than any store bought pickles. So nice, too, that it was something that you learned from your grandmother :) Those are the best recipes. How did I miss this post? Well, happy I got to see it now…better late than never, right? Pinned! Thanks for sharing :)
I posted this one for Simple Saturday. I only do it once a month and it’s random which Saturday I’ll pick! Glad you ended up seeing it!
No going back to store-bought after homemade pickles, right? I’ve never tried adding mustard seeds before though, but I’ll have to give that a try next time. Sounds so good! Such a fun summery side, Mary Anne!
I love homemade pickles Emily. They’re so easy. I like these with the mustard seed and the red pepper flakes for a little bit of spice.
We are big pickle lovers in this house and I will definitely be giving this recipe a try. LOVE how quickly it comes together and even better, a great make ahead dish. Pinned!
Great Cathy! They’re really simple to make and perfect for BBQ season!
I’m going to have the boys help me make them for their dad for Father’s Day. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m so glad Cathy! Have them make them two days ahead of time so they have time to improve in flavor!
Homemade pickles are simply the best! Rob and I gather up all the local Kirby’s we can get our hands on towards the end of Summer and spend a full day on pickling. We have farm fresh, canned pickles the entire year and people love getting them as gifts. Like your’s, it’s a tradition here. I love the smell of dill and vinegar! These look absolutely delicious, and I love your inclusion of mustard seed!
Thanks Traci! I loved making these with my Gram! She was the best at canning! They do make the perfect gifts! Sounds like you and Rob are always busy!
These look delicious. Do you think I could sub the white vinegar for apple cider vinegar? Looking forward to making these with cucumbers from the garden this weekend!
They really are delicious Crissy! You can use apple cider vinegar. It will give the pickles a mellow, fruity flavor. It will also darken the cucumbers a bit though, that’s why I use the regular distilled white vinegar.Thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy!
Can these be canned to last longer?? Just made a huge batch of sweet pickles and now on to dill!
I usually make these pickles for quick consumption Liz, but they can definitely be preserved for longer. Check out this link on how to preserve for longer. (https://www.freshpreserving.com/kosher-dill-pickles-%7C-kosher-pickle-recipe—ball-fresh-preserving-br1270.html)
Should you strain these before putting in the jar?
No. You can add the liquid Heidi.
Do you have instructions for water canning to preserve the pickles for shelf storing. The recipe is a good one but I need to preserve some jars. I got a lot of cucumbers.
No I don’t Brian. Sorry. I wanted this recipe to be a quick and easy one for the fridge.