I can’t stop pickling.
No, really, this is my new favorite hobby. Take a delicious vegetable and make it even more delicious by soaking it in vinegar and spices. Genius!
Since I’ve been having so much fun pickling veggies this summer, I knew I need to make the ultimate pickle classic: the dill pickle spear.
I stumbled upon this recipe and I knew that this was the dill pickle recipe I was going to try first. The photos were gorgeous and the recipe looked fresh and simple. So I set about finding some pickling cucumbers (Fred Meyer does not carry them, but Trader Joe’s does. And I was too impatient/craving pickles so I chose not to wait 5 days until the farmer’s market. Don’t judge.)
However, conquering the classic dill pickle spear made me slightly nervous. You see, my husband LOVES dill pickle spears. He even has theories on which brand of pickle spears are the best. He only likes the pickles that come from the refrigerated section and swears that they are crunchier than the sad pickles on the regular old grocery store shelf. He’s really into pickles.
I was worried that mine wouldn’t compare. And while it was my first attempt (and should be granted a small margin for error), I still wanted to make the perfect pickle. I wanted my pickle-enthusiast husband to really, truly love my dill pickle spears. And, guess what? He did love them. And I love them. And everyone who has tried them has loved them (my friend Priscilla requested a jar of these dill pickles for her birthday. They are that good). So, the next time I am at the farmer’s market, I am stocking up on pickling cucumbers. I will forewarn that once you open a jar of these, they disappear quickly. I’d recommend making two jars (or more) at a time. :)
24 Hour Dill Pickles (aka refrigerator pickles).
Adapted from Blondies Cakes
4 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbl kosher salt
1 tsp white sugar
4-6 cloves of garlic, sliced thin (or if you’re lazy like me, you’ll just smash them with your knife and throw them in the jar)
5 or 6 pickling cucumber, cut into quarters
1/2 tsp allspices seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6 sprigs fresh dill
Combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then set aside and let cool.
Add the mustard seeds, peppercorns and whole allspice to a large mason jar. Pack in as many cucumber spears as will comfortably fit in the jar, and then pack in the dill sprigs and pieces of garlic.
Once the water & vinegar mixture has cooled (i.e. the brine), pour the liquid over the cucumbers in the jar. Seal with a clean lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating.
Yum, I love dill pickles, and surprisingly, they are not available in all the places I lived. Your recipe sounds delicious. I think almost everything you make yourself is better than a processed brand. Don’t tell the hubbies, but there’s no competition, is there?? :)
will you make some for krispin’s birthday? he too is obsessed with pickles.
Is there any reason why slicing cucumbers wouldn’t work for dilling? We are growing a ton and pickles sound delightful.
Meg, I don’t see why they wouldn’t work! You may have to cut them a little different to fit in a jar, but I’m quite sure they’d taste the same. I’m also going to try bread & butter pickles soon as well. :)
I’m making some this weekend. We arrived home to find giant cucumbers in the garden and although the meat is delish the skin is quite tough…so…pickling sounds like the perfect solution! Thanks for the recipe.
I hate to admit it now because it’s just gross, but when I was a kid I loved dill pickles enough to drink the juice! As a “grown up”, I’ve been known to spend outrageous money on “designer” pickles sold at our local farmer’s market and have been experimenting lately with making my own. The last I made were bread and butter and were killer on turkey burgers with dijon mustard. This looks like the next recipe in the quest for the perfect pickle. Thanks!
btw…found your site on Food Buzz – :)
They were great – thanks for sharing!
[…] a vegan but this salad is so good that I often make it instead of a normal caesar. I love it. 5. 24 Hour Dill Pickles – These are absolutely addicting. And if you have been reading my blog for any amount of […]
[…] love pickles. I love eating them, making them, blogging about them, etc. (See exhibits: A, B, C, D). I went a bit pickle crazy last summer, but I finally stopped posting pickle recipes after my […]
[…] Favorite Summertime Recipes (Listed Clockwise from the Top Left) 1. Slow Cooker Carnitas 2. 24 Hour Dill Pickles 3. Cabbage Slaw with Fennel, Apple, and Jalapeno 4. Potato Salad with Yogurt, Arugula and Dill 5. […]
Oh these look good. I am also a pickling fanatic – and I have now made a second batch of your divine pickled carrots…so thanks!
My family ate your entire jar of pickles that I swapped with you & now I have the “secret” recipe ready for next year! I kept the brine hoping to add more cucumbers soon. I assume it’s okay to use the brine a few times, right?
Yes, I reuse the brine all the time! I think it’s better that way :)
My husband is begging me for pickles, so obviously I came here to look up your recipe again…and reusing the brine sounds like a great idea for the second batch I’m sure I’m going to have to make.
that’s too funny, Meg. My husband also begs for these pickles. not sure what it is about this recipe, but they are SO addictive.
Omg…my family is pickle crazy and we cant keep them in the house, cant wait to try this!!! Maybe I will even try to grow some next year :).
Lindsay, I’ve made a couple batches of these this week using baby cucumbers from our CSA. They’re awesome! I also made a relish by mincing the cukes, garlic and dill and putting the spices in a teabag to “steep” in the brine. We’ll see how that turns out! :)
[…] white girl urban gardner newbie recommendation alert. I grew a bunch of cucumbers and used my amazing sister’s recipe to pickle them. I can’t stop eating […]