Recipes & Cooking How to Cook Preserving & Canning Best Ever Dill Pickles 3.6 (112) 9 Reviews Use this easy dill pickle recipe to transform cucumbers into the star of your sandwich. In less than an hour, you'll have canned dill pickles in pint jars. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process and Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts Sheryl Geerts is an editor and author who has nearly three decades of writing and editing experience. She enjoys writing about garden, food, and home topics. Her bylines have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Allrecipes, Martha Stewart Living, and several other publications. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 20, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 36 Yield: 6 pints Jump to Nutrition Facts This is the best dill pickle recipe in our recipe collection. You’ll find step-by-step directions on how to make dill pickles with this traditional dill pickle recipe. In just 40 minutes, you can make 6 pints of homemade dill pickles for your family and friends. You’ll also find four unique pickle recipes (including hot garlic pickles, sweet dill pickles, crunchy dill and onion chips, and refrigerator pickles) that are a variation of this canned dill pickle recipe. Andy Lyons Best Cucumbers for Pickling The cucumbers we prefer for pickling include Kirby, Persian, and gherkin varieties. Look for the best pickling cucumbers at your local farmers market in early to midsummer. Choose those that are firm and bright-colored with no soft spots. Test Kitchen Tip: If pickling cucumbers aren't available, use regular-size cucumbers from the garden. Do not use waxed cucumbers that are sold in the supermarket. 28 Pickled Recipes that Go Way Beyond Cucumbers Ingredients 3 - 3 ¼ pounds small pickling cucumbers 4 cups water 4 cups white vinegar ½ cup sugar ⅓ cup pickling salt 6 tablespoons dill seeds Directions BHG / Andrea Araiza Thoroughly scrub cucumbers with a soft vegetable brush in plenty of cold running water. BHG / Andrea Araiza Remove stems and blossoms; slice off each blossom end. Cut cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. BHG / Andrea Araiza In a 4- to 5-qt. stainless steel, enameled, or nonstick pot combine water, vinegar, sugar and pickling salt. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pack cucumber spears loosely into hot, sterilized pint canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Add 1 tablespoon dillseeds to each jar. BHG / Andrea Araiza Pour hot vinegar mixture over cucumbers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Discard any remaining hot vinegar mixture. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands. BHG / Andrea Araiza Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). BHG / Andrea Araiza Remove jars from canner; cool on a wire rack. Let stand at room temperature 1 week before serving. Makes 6 pints. Hot Garlic Pickles Prepare as directed, except substitute cider vinegar for the white vinegar. Before packing cucumbers in jars, add 1 to 2 fresh Thai chile peppers and 2 cloves garlic halved, to each jar. Makes 6 pints. Sweet Dill Pickles Prepare as above except increase sugar to 3 cups. Makes 6 pints. Crunchy Dill and Onion Chips In an extra-large bowl combine 12 cups sliced pickling cucumbers, 2 cups thinly sliced onions, and ⅓ cup pickling salt. Set a large nonreactive colander in an extra-large nonreactive bowl. In the colander alternately layer cucumber mixture and crushed ice, ending with a layer of crushed ice. Weight down mixture with a heavy plate. Chill 8 to 24 hours. Remove any ice remaining in cucumber mixture; discard any liquid in bowl. In a 4- to 5-qt. nonreactive heavy pot combine 4 cups water, 4 cups white vinegar, and ½ cup sugar. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pack cucumbers and onions in jars as directed in Step 4 and continue as directed. Makes 5 pints. Refrigerator Pickles Prepare as directed through step 5, except add 1 or 2 sprigs fresh dill to each jar. Store pickles in the refrigerator up to 1 month. Makes 6 pints. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 25 Calories 5g Carbs Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 36 Calories 25 % Daily Value * Sodium 859mg 37% Total Carbohydrate 5g 2% Total Sugars 4g Vitamin C 1.8mg 2% Calcium 20.2mg 2% Iron 0.4mg 2% Potassium 78mg 2% Folate, total 4mcg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.