Easy Spicy Dill Pickles

If you’re anything like me, you love dill pickles but the ones that come out of the grocery store are always too limp or too tame. Until I discovered this recipe, I too was resigned to this sorry state of affairs. I’d buy them, but the difference in taste from store-bought pickles to the pickles in this recipe is like Chef-Boy-ar-Dee to homemade spaghetti.

There will be those who are convinced that pickling is an arcane and potentially dangerous art (botulism!) and that mere home cooks shouldn’t attempt it, but nothing could be further from the truth. And the good thing about this recipe is that you don’t need any complicated equipment (just a couple of Mason jars) and you don’t need a pressure canner or any of that nonsense that keeps people from making their own preserves.

This is a very simple recipe that will create fantastic, crunchy dill pickles within a week that will be devoured by friends and family (I made this for my family in California and the entire jar was gone in one day.) It looks complicated at first glance, but should only take you a small part of a lazy afternoon, with the results lasting for months.

I’ve made this recipe several times and have fiddled with it, adjusting vinegar and salt quantities, but in general, it should definitely provide you with a memorable pickle and you need know nothing about canning or preserving to do it.

Note first of all that the result cannot be put on a shelf in the kitchen; it has to be refrigerated. But who keeps dill pickles on the shelf anyway?

Okay, here we go:

You’ll need two Mason jars. These can be bought at any hardware store in the “Home” section. I recommend Bernardin. Mason jars consist of a glass jar with a wide mouth, a ring screw top and a central disc that fits in the ring to create a seal. If you can’t find these, use an empty jar of commercial spaghetti sauce (Prego etc.) that has been dishwashed with its top. Since we aren’t actually going through the whole boiling-water bath process, this should do fine, though it is definitely preferable to have the Mason jar with ring and sealer.

First, submerge one (or two, if you have the room) of the jars with their rings in a large pot and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil and continue on a rolling boil for ten minutes. This is to kill any possible bacteria lurking inside the jars (even though the pickles will be refrigerated, we don’t want to pack them in dirty jars.)

Sterilizing the Mason jar

Remove the jars and rings with tongs and set them upright on clean paper towels.

For the cucumbers, Kirby cucumbers are the best, although Mediterranean (or “Lebanese”) will do at a pinch. You definitely don’t want to use those behemoth cucumbers that we’re all used to seeing in the grocery store; they’ll turn to mush. They should be from 4 - 6 inches long, firm and green. About six fat ones should fill two jars once they’re cut. Prepare a large bowl with ice water, and after washing the cucumbers, submerge them in the ice water. This will make them crisper. This can be done hours ahead or even the day before.

Kirby cucumbers

Now you need to assemble your spices. These are all whole:

1T dill seeds
1T allspice
1T black peppercorns
3T yellow mustard seeds
3 dried chilies (optional or to taste; this amount will give the pickles a very slight burn, almost unnoticeable)

And you’ll need garlic cloves and fresh dill.

In a medium saucepan, mix 2 1/2 cups of white vinegar with 3 1/2 cups of water. Add 1/6 - 1/8 C kosher salt. Now add the spices. Bring to a boil and boil for three minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. This will take a couple of hours unless you put the pan in the refrigerator.

Boiling spices

Take the cucumbers and cut off both ends. I personally like dill spears (quartered lengthwise) but you can get creative; you could leave them whole (not recommended), cut them into chips (if you have a mandolin you could make ripple chips!) or cut them in half.

Quartered pickles

If you’re using garlic, peel approximately two large cloves per jar, halve them and crush them slightly with the blade of a knife so that they will release their flavor once in the jar. Cut a generous swath of fresh dill from the bunch and wash it.

Now put the pickles in the jars, interspersed with the fresh dill and garlic cloves.

Ready for the refrigerator

Fill the jars with the vinegar and spices, taking care to make sure that the chilies and various seeds get equally portioned to each jar. Leave about a half inch space between the vinegar and the lid, screw the lid on tight, and you’re done! Put the pickles in the refrigerator. They will be done in about a week and will last for at least three months. Incredibly crunchy (impossible with commercial product), they’ll definitely be the best spicy dill pickles you have ever had!