Best Sweet & Spicy Dill Pickles

One of my projects during COVID-19 like most people was a garden. I have been known to kill “all the things” when it comes to gardening. But I took it as my personal mission to learn about it, become discipline in taking care of them and to actually produce crop!

Well, I’m here to tell you I was successful!!! In your face old me! haha! I grew cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeños, herbs and TONS of pickling cucumbers! I had so many cucumbers I basically was making a new batch of pickles almost every 2 days! It was nuts. The good news is I have perfected my Sweet & Spicy Pickle Recipe and y’all … they are straight up addicting!

What turns a cucumber into a pickle?

Well, the short answer is the pickling or brining liquid made from vinegar, water, sugar and salt is what turns cucumbers into pickles. This brine gets poured over the cucumbers and transforms the vegetables into pickles. Woohoo!

What cucumbers make the best pickles?

The best cucumbers to use for pickles are Kirby cucumbers a.k.a. pickling cucumber. They hold up to the brine much better than English cucumbers do leaving you with a firm and crunchy cucumber instead of a soft cucumber. I’ve also found that Persian cucumbers do the job as well.

How to Cut Cucumbers for Pickles?

There are a couple different ways to cut cucumbers for pickles. Here are the

Whole: This one is self explanatory. Just put use whole cucumbers for whole cucumbers.
Spears: To slice cucumbers into spears, slice lengthwise into quarters so you have four equal spears. If you’d like them thinner you can always slice them again.
Slices or Coins: Slice cucumber into 1/4″ to 1/3″coins. For maximum flavor use a crinkle cut, I use this crinkle cutter that I bought on amazon pretty inexpensively and it works great!
Long Sandwich Slices: To cut these, slice the cucumber in long thin 1/3″ slices lengthwise so you have long strips. These are perfect when uses on a sandwich because it fits the length of the sandwich. Hence, the name. wink wink.

Ingredients you’ll need for these Homemade Dill Pickles:

Cucumbers – Don’t use regular cucumber, even english cucumber won’t worry. Look for the short stubby ones – Kirby or Persian cucumbers.
Vinegar – I use both distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar in this recipe. I find the mixture of both really adds flavor. Vinegar is a key ingredient when making a brine so you definitely can’t skip this ingredient. (you could also use rice wine vinegar)
Water – It sounds strange but trust me, water is key to cut out some of the intense vinegar “bite” you can get. The water smooths out the flavor.
Sugar – This balances the savoriness of the pickles but doesn’t overpower it, don’t worry they are NOT sweet.
Salt – Always use salt, it is a flavor enhancer!
Onion – You don’t need a ton, just a few thin slices will add just the right amount of flavor.
Garlic – A key ingredient to pickles and definitely a flavor booster.
Mustard Seeds – Super small, but they give off a deep mustard taste that are the perfect subtle hint of flavor to these pickles.
Habanero – These are Sweet & SPICY Pickles and the spice in these pickles comes from HALF of a habanero pepper and the oil it infuses into the brine.
Dill – This lemony scented herb gives these pickles their signature dill taste. I’ve used both fresh dill and dry. See recipe for qualities of each.

How to Make Homemade Dill Pickles?

Homemade Pickles are way easier to make than you think. These Sweet & Spicy Refrigerator Pickles are not canned, they are simply put into jars and stored in the refrigerator. The brine is heated then poured over the cucumbers to make the pickles in a more rapid way. So you can literally eat them after 24 hours instead of waiting 3 months! Amen!

Prep Cucumbers: Wash the cucumbers. Slice off the ends and cut into desired size (see cut options above) . This recipe uses crinkle cut coins/slices.
Make the Brine: To a saucepan add vinegar, water, apple cider vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil until salt and sugar are dissolved.
Fill the Jars: To a 32 ounce mason jar add dill, mustard seed, thinly sliced onion, garlic cloves, habanero pepper and cucumber slices. Pour the brine mixture over pickles.
Cover and Chill: Cover pickles with leak proof lid and store in refrigerator for 24 hours. But they are better at 48 hours before digging in.

How long do refrigerator Pickles last?

In general, homemade pickles should last for two months or so if stored properly in a jar in the refrigerator. But note, the longer they sit, the less crunchy they become because the brining liquid softens them up. I find they are BEST at 2-3 weeks! But honestly they are gone in our house after a week. We are pickle addicts.

What are the best pickles?

Um… this question is easy, of course these are the best pickles out there. I made them! Honestly, I haven’t bought pickles from the store since I started making these and they don’t last long so I’m making pickles every week! You’ll love the brininess from the vinegar, heat from the habanero and mild sweetness to balance everything out with that dill kick at the end.

Pickle Serving Suggestions

Obviously one of the best most common places to serve pickles is on sandwiches or burgers. However, we also love them as a condiment on our Epic Cheese Board or serve spears alongside one of these sandwiches for a deli-style lunch:

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Best Easy Sweet & Spicy Dill Pickles