How-To Tuesday: Homemade Dill Pickles

Hi everyone, I hope you’re having a great day! I just ate one of my delicious Balance Bowls, so I’m feelin’ mighty fine.

Without further ado, welcome to another “How-To Tuesday”!! 🙂

Today’s post was inspired by The Kitchn, because yesterday I was totally craving pickles. Salty, cool, and crunchy dill pickles. Mmmmm yes.

Homemade dill pickles are surprisingly easy to make. You don’t even need to set aside the afternoon; you can make a few pint jars in less than thirty minutes!

Can I get a “whoop-whoop”?!

No just me? Okay, onto the instructions.

Emma suggested that you choose the right type of cucumber for pickling. In her tutorial, she used Persian cucumbers, but you can certainly use whatever cucumber you have on hand. Make sure they are washed, ripe, and firm! We don’t want any gross wrinkly veggies. You can even use this recipe as a template for pickling other vegetables. Okra, green beans, and even carrots all make delicious pickles if you’re feeling adventurous!

The main flavoring for dill pickles comes not from the feathery dill herb we use in so much of our cooking, but rather from the dill seed. These aren’t common in regular grocery stores, but you can find them at Whole Foods or here. Besides dill seed, a few smashed cloves of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes help round out the flavor of the pickles.

These pickles are made with a basic brine of equal parts cider vinegar (or rice vinegar, white vinegar, etc.) and water mixed with salt. This brine gets poured over the cucumbers — sliced however you like or whole— and transforms the vegetables into pickles. I suggest letting the pickles sit in the brine for awhile before you eat them, if you can wait that long…the jars will keep for several weeks in the fridge, woohoo!

(Recipe adapted from The Kitchn)
Homemade Dill Pickles

• Yields: 2 pint jars

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds cucumber of choice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 teaspoons dill seed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 cup cider vinegar (or any other vinegar)
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt (kosher if necessary)

Equipment:
Chefs knife
Cutting board
2 wide-mouth pint jars with lids
Large pot, if canning

Directions:

1. If you are planning to can your pickles for long-term storage, bring a large pot of water to a boil and sterilize the jars and their lids. If you are planning to make refrigerator pickles, simply washing the jars and lids is fine.
2. Wash and dry the cucumbers. Trim away the blossom end of the cucumber, which can give you limp pickles. Leave the pickles whole or cut them however you like.
3. Divide the garlic, dill seed, and red pepper flakes (if using) between the pint jars: 2 smashed cloves, 1 teaspoon dill seed, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes per jar.
4. Pack the pickles into the jars. Trim the ends if they stand more than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing the cucumbers.
5. Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a small sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil. Pour the brine over the pickles, filling each jar to within 1/2-inch of the top. You might not use all the brine, but that’s okay
6. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more pickling brine if necessary. Place the lids over the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
7. Let the jars cool to room temperature and store the pickles in the fridge. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open. I know it will be hard…

And there you have it!!

I know some people hate pickles, but who can go wrong with some dill pickle coins on top of a giant burger veggie burger?! (Ha, see what I did there?)

Have a great rest of your Tuesday!! 🙂

Question of the Day:
Are you a sweet or dill pickle type of person? Or do you not like pickles at all?