How to Make Dill Pickles

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 19, 2022 Tested

Pickles are always delicious -- especially pickles flavored by the delicious and crisp taste of dill. You can make simple dill pickles, add a sweet or spicy kick to the pickles, or add a variety of other ingredients to the mix that will give the pickles a unique flavors. If you want to know how to make your own dill pickles, just follow these steps.

Ingredients

Simple Dill Pickles

6 medium-sized cucumbers
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
2 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 minced garlic clove
10 dill sprigs

Sweet Dill Pickles

7 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tbsp. pickling salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp. celery seed
big sprig of fresh dill

Spicy Dill Pickles

10 5 - 6 inch pickling cucumbers
2 cups water
1 3/4 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cloves chopped garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. coarse salt
1 tbsp. pickling spice
1 1/2 tsp. dill seed
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 sprigs fresh dill weed

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Simple Dill Pickles

1
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Mix 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml). of kosher salt, 1 1/4 cups of white vinegar, 2 tablespoon (29.6 ml). of coriander seeds, and 1 minced garlic clove together in a bowl. Keep mixing the ingredients until the salt and sugar dissolve. Heating the brine will help ingredients dissolve, if you wish.
2
Add 2 cups of water to the mixture. Stir the ingredients together a bit more.

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3
Cut off the blossom ends of the cucumbers. The blossom end has the small brown circle on it. The end has an enzyme that can make your pickles softer, and a bit more soggy, which inhibits the pickling process.^{[1]
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4
Tuck 3 dill sprigs into each jar, enough to layer the bottom of the jar.
5
Place the cucumbers into two jars. Place 3 cucumbers into each jar.
6
Add the remaining dill sprigs on top of the cucumbers.
7
Pour the mixture into each jar. Make sure that the pickles in both jars are completely submerged in the mixture. If there is not enough brine, add a little water until the cucumbers are completely submerged.
8
Tightly seal the jars. Close the lids on the jars tightly.
9
Refrigerate. Refrigerate the pickles for one night or up to one month.
10
Serve. Enjoy the delicious flavor of these simple dill pickles anywhere and at any time.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Sweet Dill Pickles

1
Slice 7 cups of cucumbers thinly. Cut off the blossom end of each cucumber, the end with the small brown circle, to make it better for pickling. Then slice each cucumber into several pieces lengthwise.^{[2]
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2
Combine the cucumbers, onions, bell pepper, and pickling salt in on large bowl. Combine the sliced cucumbers, 1 cup of thinly sliced onions, 1 cup of diced green bell pepper, and 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml). of pickling salt together in the bowl. The onions should be cut into 1-inch slices and the bowl should have a lid. Stir the ingredients together until they're incorporated.
3
Let the mixture sit on the counter for one hour. Then, drain the bowl of any excess liquid.
4
Heat the sugar, vinegar, and celery seed in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml). of celery seed together in the pan. Stir these ingredients occasionally until the sugar completely melts.
5
Pour the sugar mixture over the cucumbers.
6
Add the big sprig of fresh dill.
7
Wait for the cucumbers to cool to room temperature.
8
Refrigerate for two days. Place a lid over the bowl and put it in the refrigerator.
9
Serve. Enjoy these pickles straight from the bowl, or pair them with your favorite snack. They'll keep well for a few weeks.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Spicy Dill Pickles

1
Cut off the blossom ends of the cucumbers. The blossom end has the small brown circle on it. The end has an enzyme that can make your pickles softer, and a bit more soggy, which inhibits the pickling process.^{[3]
X
Research source}
2
Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in ten 5–6 inch (12.7–15.2 cm) pickling cucumbers, 2 cups of water, 1 3/4 cups of white vinegar, 1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh dill, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 8 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoon (22.2 ml). of coarse salt, 1 tbsp. of pickling spice, 1 1/2 tsp. of dill seed, and 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes.^{[4]
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3
Stir the ingredients together. Stir thoroughly to combine the ingredients.
4
Let the ingredients stand for up to two hours in room temperature. This will be long enough for the salt and sugar to dissolve.
5
Transfer the cucumbers into three 1 ¹⁄₂ US-pint (709.8 ml) wide mouth jars. Distribute them as evenly as you can -- three pickles in two jars, and four pickles in the third.
6
Pour the liquid from the bowl into the jar. The pickles should be completely submerged in the liquid.
7
Place a sprig of dill into each jar. This will add even more of a dill flavor to the pickles.
8
Seal the lids. Make sure to seal them tightly.
9
Refrigerate. These pickles should be refrigerated for at least 10 days before you eat them. After that, they will last one month.
10
Serve. Enjoy these simple dill pickles as a side with your next sandwich.