Name: Ina Garten Dill Pickles
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons black peppercorns; 2 tablespoons mustard seeds; 2 tablespoons coriander seeds; 2 tablespoons dill seed; 1 tablespoon allspice berries; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 10-12 bay leaves, crumbled; 10-12 pounds of pickled cucumbers, cleaned and stored whole or sliced; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 cups distilled white vinegar; 4 cups water; 5 tbsp pickling seasoning; 2-3 teaspoons of homemade pickling spice (recipe above) per jar; 2-ounce bag dried dill weed, 2-3 fronds and stems per jar; 10-18 Thai red peppers, split down the center but not separated, seeds intact (2-3 per jar); 20-30 peeled and lightly smashed whole garlic cloves (4-5 per jar)

These straightforward, time-honored, Ina Garten Dill Pickles get their incredibly wonderful bite from the combination of fresh garlic, pickling spice that’s prepared from scratch, and chili peppers.

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What’s In These Homemade Dill Pickles?

These dill pickles have been given some heat through the addition of garlic and Thai chili peppers to the brine. And they can be easily altered to suit your individual style. You can put them in jars and store them for months, or you can create quick pickles in the fridge.

Feel free to leave the chili peppers out if the heat isn’t your thing. You can make do with fewer slices if your cucumbers are on the large side. If you want your dish to have a more vampire-like flavor, add extra garlic.

Since white vinegar adds additional sourness to the brine, I use a mixture of cider vinegar and white vinegar to make the pickles.

What Type of Cucumbers Are Best for Pickling

Pick cucumbers that are bright green and firm, and avoid those that have any noticeable spots or imperfections.

If you want to make rapid pickles or refrigerator pickles like the ones I’ve outlined in this post, then you should use cucumbers with a thin skin that can soak up the vinegar solution. Cucumbers from the Persian variety, the regular garden variety, or the seedless English variety all perform well.

Select a robust cucumber with thicker skin, such as Kirby pickles, for canning so that the snap remains after the cucumbers have been brined in the vinegar solution.

Which Vinegar Is Best For Dill Pickles

Dill pickles are best with distilled white vinegar, but I also recommend apple cider and rice wine vinegar for other kinds of pickles. It has a milder aroma and flavor than regular vinegar, just the right amount of acidity, and, because it’s clear, won’t alter the color of your pickles.

To get that perfect pucker of tanginess, I mix equal parts cider vinegar and white vinegar.

Moreover, you probably already have this vinegar lying around the kitchen (it’s a workhorse, fantastic for baking when you don’t have any buttermilk, terrific in ranch dressing, and an outstanding multipurpose cleaner)!

How To Make Ina Garten Dill Pickles

For the Homemade Pickling Spice:

In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir to combine.

For the Spicy Killer Garlic Dill Pickles:

Prepare your canning jars and lids. I sanitize my jars in the dishwasher and remove them while they are still warm. Place the lids in a small pot of simmering hot water to be used during the canning process.
To avoid contamination, bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a simmer in a big stock pot.
Add 2-3 tablespoons pickling spice, 2-3 fronds and stalks of dried dill weed, 2-3 Thai red peppers (depending on preference), and 4-5 whole garlic cloves to each sterilized jar. Pack the cucumbers inside the jars so that they are tightly packed but not broken. The cucumbers should be placed below the jar’s neck. If the cucumbers are sticking out too much, trim them.
Fill the jars halfway with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headroom and just covering the cucumbers.
Wipe the jar rims clean and use tongs to place the lids and rings (sterilized in simmering water) on top of the jars. To avoid infection, do not use your fingers to touch the lids where they sit on the jars.
Process for 10 minutes in a canner water bath of boiling water. Remove the jars from the saucepan and place them on a dishtowel on the counter to cool. You will hear the jars pop as they cool and seal. When tapped, sealed jars should feel sturdy and have a concave shape.
Keep in a cool, dry place. Pickles will be ready to eat in approximately 7-10 days but will improve as they age. They can be kept for up to one year.

What To Serve With Dill Pickles

Pulled Pork Sandwiches With Crunchy Slaw
Cucumber Sandwiches
Garlic Burgers
Bacon Cheeseburger
Fried Fish Sandwich

How To Make Pickles Crispy?

The secret is to buy small, firm cucumbers (Kirby or “pickling cucumbers”) and can them as soon as possible. Young cucumbers are firmer than older ones because they have fewer seeds and are less watery.

I haven’t experimented with this, but I’ve read you may soak your cucumbers in an ice bath for 20-30 minutes or up to overnight, before canning, to also assist the cukes to retain their crispness. If you’ve tried this before, definitely let me know!

How To Can Pickles?

Bring a canning pot full of water to a boil. Allow enough space so that the water does not overflow when the bottles are added.
Wipe the jar rims clean, then place the sterilized lids and rings on top of the jars with tongs.
Process for 10 minutes in a canner water bath.
Remove the jars from the pot and place them on a counter covered with a dish towel to cool.
Check that the lids drop down to show that they are sealed. Refrigerate any pickles that do not pop and consume them like refrigerator pickles.

How Long Does It Take To Turn A Cucumber Into A Pickle?

Before devouring these, I let them rest for approximately a week (though you can try them in u). Oh, man. I can’t say enough excellent things about them. My mum usually waits three months before serving hers. I don’t know how she’ll make it, but, like wine, she should age well.

Can I Make These As Refrigerator Pickles?

Yes, you can! Skip the hot water bath and instead set the jars in the refrigerator. They won’t last as long and won’t be shelf-stable, but they will keep in the fridge for 1-2 months.

How Long Do Homemade Canned Dill Pickles Last?

Keep these in a dry, cold location and they’ll only become better with time. They can be kept for up to one year. Just remember to keep any jars you open in the fridge!