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Dill Pickle Recipe is the from scratch canning project that turns a pile of fresh pickling cucumbers into crisp, garlicky kosher spears you will be sneaking straight from the jar, and the first time I water bath canned these on a lazy Saturday morning the whole batch was sealed, labeled, and lined up on the counter before lunch. If you love stacking homemade pickles on a juicy perfect smash burger, this is the jar you want waiting in the pantry.
These kosher style dill pickle spears come together with a simple hot brine, a boiling water canner, and about 45 minutes of hands on time.
Dill Pickle Recipe Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 pint jars
- ⚡ Calories: 137kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Garlicky, tangy dill brine with a gentle hot pepper kick
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our easy homemade tartar sauce
Quick Answer
To make this dill pickle recipe, trim fresh pickling cucumbers into spears, pack them into hot pint jars with garlic, dill sprigs, mustard seeds, a bay leaf, and a hot pepper, then cover with a simmering brine of water, vinegar, sugar, and pickling salt. Process the sealed jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, rest them for 12 to 24 hours, and check that every lid has sealed before storing.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Trimming the blossom end keeps spears crisp. The blossom end of a cucumber carries enzymes that soften pickles over time, so slicing off that 1/16 inch protects the crunch through months of storage.
- A hot pack means a tighter seal. Packing spears into hot jars and ladling in simmering brine drives out trapped air, which helps every lid pull down into a strong vacuum seal during processing.
- Pickling salt keeps the brine crystal clear. Salt made for pickling and preserving has no anti caking agents or iodine, so the brine stays clear instead of turning cloudy or darkening the garlic.
- Per jar aromatics season evenly. Dropping garlic, dill, mustard seed, bay leaf, and a hot pepper into each individual jar guarantees every spear gets the same punch of flavor, instead of one super strong jar and one bland one.
- Pickle Crisp replaces old fashioned lime soaks. A small dose of calcium chloride firms the cucumber cell walls safely, giving you that deli style snap without overnight soaking steps.
- The 15 minute water bath is calibrated for pints. That processing window is long enough to sterilize and seal pint jars at a safe acidity, but short enough that the spears do not cook soft.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You get shelf stable, deli quality kosher dill spears for a fraction of the store bought price, and every jar is packed with real garlic and fresh dill.
- The hot brine method is beginner friendly canning at its best, no pressure canner needed, just a big pot of boiling water.
- They make everything better, from sandwiches to a backyard cookout spread with easy slow cooker hot dogs.
Key Ingredients
A handful of fresh, simple ingredients does all the heavy lifting in this dill pickle recipe.
- Pickling Cucumbers: Small, firm Kirby style cucumbers hold their crunch through processing far better than slicing cucumbers, which turn soft in the jar. Look for cucumbers around 3 to 4 inches long with bumpy skin.
- White Vinegar: Standard 5 percent acidity white vinegar keeps the brine safely acidic for water bath canning and gives that classic sharp dill pickle tang.
- Pickling Salt: Salt made for pickling and preserving dissolves clean and keeps the brine clear. Table salt with iodine can discolor the pickles and cloud the jar.
- Fresh Dill and Garlic: Whole dill sprigs and a fresh garlic clove in every jar are what make these taste like real deli kosher dills instead of generic pickles.
- Hot Peppers and Mustard Seeds: One small hot pepper plus yellow mustard seeds per jar adds gentle warmth and that signature pickle barrel spice, the same trick that makes our hot dog sauce so crave worthy on a loaded dog.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This brine is a flexible base, so make a jar or two your own with these easy swaps.
- Spicy garlic dills: Double the hot peppers or add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes per jar for serious heat.
- Pickle chips: Slice the cucumbers into 1/4 inch coins instead of spears for burger ready chips, processing time stays the same.
- Sweeter brine: Bump the sugar up by a tablespoon or two if you like a bread and butter leaning pickle.
- Extra herby: Add a few peppercorns and a pinch of coriander seed to each jar along with the dill.
- Skip the canner: Make refrigerator pickles by pouring the hot brine over packed jars, cooling, and chilling, they keep about 2 months and are ready in 48 hours, perfect to pile on cheeseburger sliders.
How to Make Dill Pickle Recipe
- Prepare the boiling water canner. Heat the jars in simmering water until ready to use, but do not boil them. Wash the lids in warm soapy water and set them aside with the bands.
- Wash the pickling cucumbers and hot peppers in cold water. Slice 1/16 of an inch off the blossom end of each cucumber, trim the stem ends so the cucumbers measure about 3 inches, then cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise.
- Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small stainless saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Place 1 garlic clove, 3 dill sprigs, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed, 1 bay leaf, 1 hot pepper, and Pickle Crisp if using into each hot jar. Pack the cucumber spears in, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace, and trim any spears that sit too tall.
- Ladle the hot brine into each hot jar, keeping that 1/2 inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles, wipe the jar rim, center the lid, and apply the band to fingertip tight. Place the jar in the boiling water canner and repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process the jars for 15 minutes in covered boiling water, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes in the canner. Remove the jars and cool for 12 to 24 hours, then check that no lid flexes when the center is pressed.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use wide mouth pint jars. They make packing the spears upright dramatically easier and you fit more pickles per jar.
- Start with the freshest cucumbers you can find. Cucumbers picked within a day or two stay crisp, older ones turn bendy no matter what you do.
- Do not skip trimming the blossom ends. That tiny slice is the single biggest factor in crunchy versus mushy pickles.
- Keep everything hot. Hot jars plus hot brine prevents thermal shock cracks and helps the lids seal properly.
- Make sure the spears stay fully submerged. Any cucumber poking above the brine line can discolor and spoil faster.
- Check every seal before storing. A sealed lid will not flex when pressed in the center, and any jar that did not seal goes straight to the refrigerator.
- Wait 2 weeks before opening. The spears need time in the brine for the garlic and dill flavor to fully develop.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These kosher dill spears were born for cookout food. Tuck them next to a stack of perfect smash burgers, or chop one into easy homemade tartar sauce for fried fish night.
For picnic spreads, set a jar out alongside classic potato salad and Italian sliders, the briny crunch cuts right through the creamy, cheesy richness.
A spear on the side of any deli sandwich is non negotiable in our house, and the leftover pickle brine is liquid gold, use it to brine chicken, spike a bloody mary, or whisk into salad dressing.
They also make a fantastic homemade gift. Tie a ribbon around the jar with a little tag and you have a hostess gift people actually get excited about.
Dill Pickle Recipe FAQs
Give the sealed jars at least 2 weeks in a cool, dark place before opening so the garlic, dill, and spices can fully flavor the spears. They get even better at the 4 to 6 week mark, and properly sealed jars keep for up to a year.
Soft pickles usually trace back to old cucumbers, skipped blossom end trimming, or over processing. Use fresh, firm pickling cucumbers, slice off the blossom end, keep the water bath to 15 minutes, and add Pickle Crisp for extra insurance.
Yes, you can make refrigerator pickles instead. Pack the jars and pour in the hot brine exactly the same way, let the jars cool on the counter, then refrigerate. Skip the water bath entirely, they will be ready in about 48 hours and keep around 2 months in the fridge.
Kosher style refers to the New York deli method of pickling with generous garlic and dill, not religious certification. The garlic clove and fresh dill sprigs in every jar are what give these that classic kosher dill flavor.
Pickling salt is strongly recommended because it has no iodine or anti caking agents. In a pinch you can use pure kosher salt by weight, but avoid iodized table salt, which can turn the brine cloudy and darken the pickles.
After the jars cool for 12 to 24 hours, press the center of each lid. A sealed lid is concave and will not flex or pop. Any jar that flexes did not seal, so store it in the refrigerator and eat those pickles within 2 months.
Looking for your next from scratch condiment win? Our homemade BBQ sauce is the same kind of pantry staple upgrade.
Dill Pickle Recipe
Equipment
- 4 Pint Jars and Lids
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers about 3-4 inches
- 2 & 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup Salt for Pickling and Preserving or kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 bay leaves
- 12 fresh dill sprigs
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 4 small hot peppers optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Pickle Crisp optional
Instructions
- Prepare the boiling water canner. Heat the jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil. Wash the lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
- Wash the pickling cucumbers and hot peppers in cold water. Slice 1/16 of an inch off the blossom end of each cucumber; trim the stem ends so the cucumbers measure about 3 inches. Cut cucumbers into quarters lengthwise.2 & 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers
- Combine water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small stainless saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat to a simmer.2 & 1/2 cups water, 2 cups white vinegar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup Salt for Pickling and Preserving
- Place 1 garlic clove, 3 dill sprigs, ½ tsp mustard seed, 1 bay leaf, 1 hot pepper, and Pickle Crisp (if desired, add 1/8 teaspoon to each jar) into a hot jar. Pack the cucumber spears into the jar, leaving a ½ inch headspace. Trim any cucumbers that are too tall.4 cloves garlic, 4 bay leaves, 12 fresh dill sprigs, 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds, 4 small hot peppers, 1/2 teaspoon Pickle Crisp
- Ladle the hot brine into a hot jar leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center lid on the jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process the jars for 15 minutes in boiling water covered, adjusting for altitude. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes in the water canner. Remove the jars and cool for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.
Notes
- Use fresh ingredients for the best results.
- Remove the blossom ends of the cucumbers for crisp pickles.
- Ensure that the jars, lids, and bands are clean before use.
- Make sure the pickles are fully submerged in the brine.
- Process the jars correctly to ensure a proper seal.
- Store in a cool, dark place to maintain their taste and freshness.
Nutrition
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