This Garlic Dill Pickles recipe is perfectly spiced and crunchy.
You know when you have the chance to try out a new restaurant and their food is amazing? When I get the opportunity to eat at locally owned, farm to table restaurants, I try to remember how everything tastes, and then I’ll go home and do my best to create my own spin on what I had.
This easy garlicky dill pickle recipe was the result of such a restaurant experience. I remember this hole-in-the-wall restaurant that I used to love going to ages ago, it was pure comfort food. They would have the tallest and best-tasting hamburgers, then serve them up these amazing crunchy dill pickles on the side. Oh my goodness, I could have had a plate full of the pickles alone and would have been a very happy girl. Years have passed and sadly, that restaurant is no longer in business, but in honor of that great little place, this is my rendition of the best dill pickles.
Make your own easy refrigerator garlic dill pickles recipe, they’re amazing!
Making them and aiming to get that flavor, was only slightly tricky. But finally, it all came together for this recipe. Several batches later, if my memory serves me right, this recipe is spot on.
For the flavor and beauty of seeing these jars sitting on the shelf, I added in fresh dill sprigs plus a bay leaf to each jar. Leaving the bay leaf whole is best, that’s so you don’t have those awkward tiny bits sneaking in and stabbing your mouth. Also adding fresh, whole garlic cloves adds just the right amount of flavor so that it doesn’t overpower those pickles (or any friends nearby).
If preferred, you can cut the cucumbers either into spears, long thin slices, thick 1 – 2 inch chunks, or make them into those fun little pickle chips that are perfect for topping off your hamburgers. And, of course, you can also leave the garlic dill pickles whole.
Enjoy these easy to make garlic dill pickle recipe on your favorite hamburger or try them on my favorite, the Best Flippin’ Burger.
How long should pickles sit before eating?
I try to wait between 3 to 4 days, but I’ve been known to “test” them after 2 days. If you have admirable patience, they are best if you can wait at least 1 – 2 weeks before eating the pickles.
Do dill pickles need to be refrigerated?
You should refrigerate dill pickles after opening them, keeping them at room temperature for too long can cause them to go bad.
What can I use the leftover pickle juice for?
I love to use it to marinate my chicken if I’m making chicken tenders or strips, the juice is brilliant for tenderizing meats. For other great ideas, check this article out!
For this recipe, try to find the pickling cucumbers that are about 3 – 4 inches long. I also recommend using 1-pint jars over the quart size, especially if you process them in a water bath. The only time I actually proceed with the hot water bath for canning is when I’m making several large batches to get me through the year, otherwise, I make small batches, no more than 4 pints at a time, then stick them in the fridge and eat them within a month or so.
If you want to know more about the hot water bath for canning and preserving, check out Fresh Preserving.
How to make Garlic Dill Pickles?
Garlic Dill Pickles
This Garlic Dill Pickles recipe is ideal to make for all dill pickle lovers, perfect for sharing with friends and family, as an addition to cookouts, picnics and more.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white vinegar (can use white wine vinegar)
- 1/4 cup pickling salt
- 2 tsp per pint jar of pickling spice blend
- 3 garlic cloves per jar.
- 2 - 3 sprigs fresh dill per jar
- 1 bay leaf per jar
- 10 - 12 small (3 - 4 inches long) pickling cucumbers, sliced to your preference or left whole
Instructions
- In a saucepan over high heat, bring the water, vinegar, and pickling salt to a boil, stirring occasionally for about 3 - 5 minutes and the salt has fully dissolved. Cool for about 8 - 10 minute.
- In each wide-mouth pint jar, first, add the pickling spice blend, 3 garlic cloves, followed by the cucumbers sliced the way you prefer or left whole. Down the sides, as you are adding the cucumbers, put in 2 - 3 sprigs of fresh dill and 1 bay leaf.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers, leaving a space of about 1/4 inch from the top. Seal with a lid and if proceeding with the hot water bath for canning, do that step now, otherwise place the sealed jars in the refrigerator and try to wait for 2 - 3 days.
Notes
- You can also add dried hot chili pepper to each jar for Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles.
- Keeps for up to 4 - 6 weeks in the fridge without using the hot water bath or up to 6 months with the hot water bath process.
- You can also use any variety of pickles available, but the bigger they are the less crunchy they tend to be.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 26Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
POST UPDATED: July 26, 2019
Stacey is a Southern girl with a taste for travel, thriving on the discovery of the world through food. After spending many years traveling and living overseas, she’s now back home in her beloved deep south enjoying life with her three little ones and loving the adventure. She’s a food stylist and food photographer, as well as, the creative behind Little Figgy Food, where she loves to inspire others to try new flavors and foodie techniques.
This looks like a great recipe and I will be making this weekend. Can you also freeze this instead of canning?
Hi Libby! I hope you enjoy them…I’ve never tried freezing them, they don’t last long here. If you do, be mindful that they will only last about a week after defrosting. So maybe try it in small batches. Let me know if you and how they turn out. 🙂
Man, is it really that easy? Why have I never done this before? I could eat pickles with every meal! Thanks for the recipe!
They are ridiculously easy to make, hope you get a chance to try making them soon!
Yes to all the pickles! Homemade pickles are one of my favorite summertime treats. I’ve never actually made them at home, but last summer we grew a ton of cucumbers. I’ll have to give this a go if we have the same luck this summer!
If you grow your own cucumbers, then you should enjoy making these pickles! Here’s to a brilliant harvest this summer!
I love homemade pickles and these look so good! I really like how easy they are to make as well!
Thank you Jennifer, hope you get a chance to make your own soon!
These photos are gorgeous! And I totally need to try this 🙂
Thank you so much, hope you get an opportunity to make your own soon!
This looks incredibly tasty! I can’t wait to try your recipe! I have never made homemade pickles before!
Hope you enjoy them Sara! Thank you 🙂
This looks like a great recipe! And they look so pretty in the jars with the fresh dill, bay leaf and spices. I think it could be a really fun and unique gift for anyone who loves pickles.
Thank you Shannon! And yes, they do make brilliant gifts as well!
I love pickles so so much! I know they are super easy to make at home, but for some reason I don’t do it. Thank you for the inspiration!!
Thank you Maryea! Hope you get a chance to try your hand at making your own soon!
I LOVE making pickled veggies, and this combo sounds amazing. Thanks for this interesting post and recipe.
Thank you Amelie!
i love pickled veggies and fruits,these clicks are making me drool!
Aww thank you! 🙂
Loving fermented foods right now!
OH my, so am I Kristina!
I tried to make pickles myself once, to have a Murphy’s law experience and haven’t been brave enough to try since. This recipe is so simple and manageable that I think this is the one to finally get me to try again! 🙂
Oh that’s funny, you’ll have to try again, these are worthy of another try!
The recipe instructions say add 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Did you mean dill? Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my … yes, it is supposed to be dill. Thank you for catching that, it’s now updated, and I hope you enjoy!!!
Hi! I was wondering how long you process the jars in the hot water bath? I’m guessing 10-20 minutes (from other recipes I’ve tried. Thanks!
Hi Heather! Yes, the water bath is using is about 10 minutes, I try not to go to much over that as I don’t want to “cook” the pickles. Thank you for asking and enjoy!
Made a batch this last week and they turned out pretty well. Just a little salty. Is there a way to reduce that – I dare not mess with your recipe.
PS: Happy to share my own bread and butter pickle recipe.
If you prefer it less salty, you can decrease to only using about 2 tablespoons of the pickling salt which would be half the amount called for in the recipe. I hope this is more to your liking! 🙂