Crispy crunchy and super simple kosher dill pickles recipe! Step-by-step ways how to make dill pickles, because these pickles are so much crunchier and flavorful than store-bought that you will want to make them on repeat!
This is a sponsored post by Ball® Fresh Preserving. All opinions and words are written by me.
If you are not familiar with how to make pickles, it is surprising quite simple. Pickling is the process of preserving or extending how long food can hang around, without adding unnatural preservatives. Instead, the food is fermented in brine or immersed in vinegar.
The brine for pickles is a combination of preserving salts, white vinegar and sugar boiled together with water. The brine is then topped over cucumbers that are cut into spears and soaked with fresh dill, garlic, mustard seeds and dried basil leaves.
The result?
Let’s just say in one day you get to experience a sensational crunch of a salted pickle that goes so well with barbecue dishes such as hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans and a good ole’ veggie sandwich as a side.
These homemade dill pickles are much crunchier, flavorful and fresher than store-bought pickles making them much more satisfying!
Pickling cucumbers is a wonderful way to use up seasonal cucumbers to make them last for a few extra months!
There is nothing that fascinates my four year old son more than a pickle. I promise you, every time we go grocery shopping he finds every jar of pickles. It does not matter if it is sweet pickles, kosher pickles, butter sandwich pickles or even the giant cucumber pickles that would probably make my feet swell as high as Mars- he wants them!
“Mama, but we need more pickles!” he tells me every time we go grocery shopping together.
I sure am glad to know how to make dill pickles at home now. They are healthier since you can go organic and use fresh ingredients and my son loves to make them with me. I tell him, “let’s just make them together!” when we are grocery shopping and he wants to bring them home.
Plus, making homemade dill pickles allows the ability to can preserve using favorite Farmer’s market or seasonal cucumbers (which seriously have the best flavor) to make kosher dill pickles last for weeks!
Y’all, you should see our pantry. It is surely filled with seasonal cucumbers turned into pickles and there is a four year old that could not be more happy about that situation of never running out of kosher dill pickles!
Then there is practical mom saying, where do you start, and why make dill pickles at home when you can easily buy them at the store? Which is more convenient and better for you?
Why make kosher dill pickles at home
Learning how to make dill pickles at home is so simple. It is not rocket science, it is just gathering a few ingredients and implementing the solution to create a crunchy, delicious side that also makes great homemade gifts when you share it with others.
How to Make Homemade Kosher Dill Pickles
Start with a mindset of eating it within 3 weeks, or easily and effortlessly canning pickles that will last for months.
We love to make and can pickles so we can have them stored in the pantry and enjoy for the next few months ahead. Although I will say, among the four of us, we actually eat an entire jar sometimes at snack time!
Here is what you need to get started to pickle
- Jars for storing. We love using Ball® Fresh Preserving mason jars- vintage aqua or clear are beautiful.
- Pickling cucumbers – those are the small tiny ones
- White vinegar, water, sugar (I used Monk Fruit as it is sugar-free)
- Fresh garlic
- Mustard seeds
- Fresh dill
- Bay leaves
Make these kosher dill pickles and enjoy within a few weeks or can them using Ball® Fresh Preserving Utensil Kit (instruction for canning are included in the recipe).
Making the Pickles
- Start by washing and slicing small cucumbers to the appropriate size. Cut about 1/16 inch off both ends then slicing them into 3” length. Then cut horizontal into quarter strips.
- Heat the brine by boiling it then simmering the water, salt, sugar mixture.
- Add dill, garlic, mustard seed then add sliced cucumbers on top.
- Slowly pour in the brine.
- Add mason jar lids and seal. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving. Or if you can wait, rather than enjoying after 24 hours in the refrigerator before eating, you can actually wait more like 3-6 weeks for the best flavor.
- Or incorporate the canning recipe while making the kosher dill pickles.
Ball® Fresh Preserving Utensil Kit and Ball® Aqua Vintage Jars makes canning a breeze! These jars are adorable and wonderful to use for decorating the home in conjunction with storing food items safely.
These jars are perfectly safe for canning, and are available in Quart, Pint, and Half-Pint sizes. Ball® Utensil Set makes it super simple to can goods and is a convenient solution for the existing canner who is looking for replacement utensils. The set contains a Jar Lifter, a Canning Funnel, and a Bubble Remover/Headspace Tool.
Ready to can your pickles to last longer? Get the Ball® Mason Jars 12 PK at target and the Utensil Kit here for convenience. Also you can check out more offers and recipes from Ball® canning by clicking on their website here!
Homemade always tastes better and I am thrilled to share with you how to make dill pickles at home because they are seriously tastier than store-bought.
These dill pickles are best eaten within 3-6 weeks. They hold so much crunch, sweetness, saltiness and are the perfect addition to barbecues and sandwiches!
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Related Canning Recipes:
How To Make Kosher Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs. 3-4 inch pickling cucumbers
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar (I used monk fruit sweetener when eaten right away)
- 1/4 cup Ball® Salt for Pickling and Preserving
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 small bay leaves
- 12 dill sprigs
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 4 small hot peppers (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
- Wash cucumbers and hot peppers in cold water. Slice 1/16 of an inch off the blossom end of each cucumber; trim stem ends so cucumbers measure about 3 inches. Cut cucumbers into quarters lengthwise.
- Combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small stainless saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat to simmer.
- Place 1 garlic clove, 3 dill sprigs, ½ tsp mustard seed, 1 bay leaf and 1 red pepper and Ball® Pickle Crisp (if desired) into a hot jar. Pack cucumber spears into jar, leaving a ½ inch headspace. Trim any cucumbers that are too tall.
- Ladle hot brine into a hot jar leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process jars 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid, let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and place on a towel or wooden cutting board. Allow to cool for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.
I love homemade pickle! They are the best.
Karly, I fully agree! Homemade pickles are the best! And truly one of the simplest things to make!
I can’t wait to try this recipe out! Thanks for sharing!!! I’m thinking about adding some horseradish to make them spicy…wondering how that’s going to go.
Miranda, I love your suggestion of horseradish to these dill pickles for a little extra kick – yumm!
I cannot wait to make this at home. This looks delicious! Haven’t gone out and made a recipe like this in a while. So excited to try it – thank you for sharing!