How to Make Dill Pickles

Learn how to make dill pickles the "old-fashioned" way. Pickling is a great way to store excess vegetables for the winter, or just to make a tasty snack for the summer!

This pickle recipe is great for pickling cucumbers as well as a variety of other vegetables. That's right—you can make pickles out of cucumbers, cauliflower, green and red peppers, onions, green tomatoes, summer squash, baby ears of corn—lots of different vegetables can be pickled! 

• Make a brine of 3/4 cup of pickling salt, 2 1/2 quarts of water, and 1/2 cup vinegar, heating to dissolve the salt and cooling before use. Alternate layers of vegetables—small (3-4 inches long) whole cucumbers or large pieces of other vegetables—with layers of fresh dill in a large crock or ceramic bowl. For an extra kick, add hot red peppers and peeled garlic cloves. 
• Pour brine over vegetables, and weight down using a cloth, plate, and a canning jar full of water.
• For 2 weeks, white scum will appear on the top of your pickles. Remove it daily. 
• When the two weeks is up, pack vegetables in hot, sterile jars. Heat 1/2 cup pickling salt, 1 quart vinegar, and 4 quarts water to boiling, pour over vegetables, and seal. Process for 15 minutes in boiling water bath. 

Looking for an easier pickle recipe? See our recipe for Kosher-Style Dill Pickles.