This easy recipe for dill pickles is a great way to use up cucumbers from your garden or the Farmer’s Market. The best part is that you don’t need any special canning equipment to make them.
Easy Dill Pickles Recipe
This recipe’s best feature is that it doesn’t call for any specialised equipment. You only need a jar to store the pickles and a saucepan to cook the brine.
It’s important thought to note that when it’s hot and sunny outside, it’s important to keep your kitchen as cool as possible.
These pickles, on the other hand, are manufactured by simply adding cucumbers to a heated brine that has already been prepared. Let them cool down, then put them in the fridge for 24 hours, and you’re ready to eat them!
In order to achieve the distinctive flavour and texture of dill pickles, there are a few crucial steps to follow.
How to Make Dill Pickles with the Best Taste and Texture
1. Use Fresh Dill Springs
First, use fresh dill sprigs whenever possible. The dill sprig is the stem with fern-like leaves but without the iconic yellow blooms.
In most cases, a recipe for fresh dill sprigs requires a 2-4 inch portion of the plant to be used. However, fresh dill sprigs can be hard to come by if you don’t grow your own.
Dried dill seed is an excellent overnight pickle substitute if you don’t have access to fresh dill. Although dill seed has a more powerful and pungent flavour than dried dill weed, it is better to use it as a substitute in short pickling recipes.
However, dried dill weed is the finest substitute when creating Canned Dill Pickles. If you’d prefer not to use dried dill, here’s how to do it using fresh dill.
1 sprig of fresh dill = 1 tsp dill seed
1 sprig of fresh dill = 1/4 tsp dried dill weed
2. Remove the Cucumber Ends
To ensure that the pickles retain their crispness, chop the ends off both sides of the cucumbers before putting them in the jars.
The ends, especially the blossom end, tend to be more bitter. They also include an enzyme that might cause the pickles to become soft and mushy.. Just cut off each end, and then continue with the recipe as written.
3. Cut into Rounds, Spears, or Leave Whole
Cucumbers can be sliced or left whole while the ends are being cut off to produce these simple dill pickles with dill.
Ultimately, it’s up to you. Depending on your preference, you can cut them into pickle slices, spears, or just leave them as-is. Cucumbers can be eaten whole or sliced into smaller pieces for a more concentrated dill flavour.
Because of this, it is recommended that you wait at least a day or two before consuming cucumbers that have been left whole.
4. Use Freshly Picked Cucumbers
Finally, don’t forget to use fresh cucumbers when making this Easy Dill Pickle recipe. You don’t want to use cucumbers that have been sitting in your refrigerator for days.
Cucumbers that are already soft will produce soft pickles. Fresh selected cucumbers, on the other hand, will provide what everyone expects from a pickle: lovely and crispy!
Recipe for Dill Pickles
INGREDIENTS
- 14 pickling cucumbers
- 25 fresh dill sprigs, or 8 Tbsp dried dill seed
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled & sliced
- 2 quarts water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup salt
- Mixed pickling spices: 1 teaspoon
INSTRUCTIONS
To begin making this simple dill pickle recipe, cut off and discard each end of the cucumbers. In order to make spears or slices, cut each cucumber in half lengthwise. You can also leave the cucumbers whole if you like.
Put the prepared cucumbers, dill, and garlic in a large bowl and set the bowl aside. After that, you’ll need to make the brine.
Mix the apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pickling spices together in a large pot. Put the pot on medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
Be sure to stir the mixture regularly so that the sugar doesn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Once the brine is done, pour it over the cucumber mixture and let it cool fully. Then transfer the pickles and brine to a covered plate or pour into large mouth mason jars.
Cover and place in the fridge the Easy Dill Pickles for at least 24 hours before consuming. Remember, if you made whole dill pickles, it is recommended to wait 48-72 hours before consumption.
Enjoy!