I feel things really changed for my cooking game when I started making pickles. It seems like every meal, no matter what it is, is improved with the crunch and bright acidity that they bring. And if they’re in a complementary flavour profile, pickles can make whatever you’re eating taste bigger, rounder, and more complete.
I have pickled a lot of stuff since realizing how rad they are, but I will sheepishly admit to never having made cucumber dill pickles before. The classic dill pickle! How is this possible? No idea, but I’m not wasting another day!
These are so incredibly fast to make (about 5 minutes), use the simplest ingredients, and not even a pot to wash to when you’re done. They are super crisp, fresh, and dill-y (but not overwhelmingly so), and combine so well with everything on this menu. I am confident that you’ll be making these far beyond this week!
Make sure you have the proper-sized jar for this before you start. A ¾-liter jar is the perfect size, but you can go up to a 1-quart if that’s all you have. You will need to make more brine, but that is simple enough to do.
I didn’t add garlic to this brine, even though that is a classic component to most dill pickles. I liked it with just the onion, and found it was flavourful enough without it.
Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 6 small pickling cucumber approx. 12 oz / 350g
- ½ small red onion
- a few sprigs fresh dill
- ½ cup / 125ml raw apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup / 125ml water plus more if needed
- ½ Tbsp. maple syrup
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
Directions
- In a measuring cup, combine the apple cider vinegar, water, maple syrup and salt. Stir well to dissolve the maple syrup and salt. Set aside.
- Wash and slice the cucumbers lengthwise in half, then 6 strips. Thinly slice the onion into half rounds, and pluck apart the dill into smaller fronds.
- Start putting a few cucumbers upright in the sterilized jar, setting slices of onion and sprigs of dill down in the gaps as you go. Pour the brine over top. If it doesn’t quite cover the pickles, add enough water so that it does. Place in the fridge and let marinate for at least one hour. Enjoy for up to seven days.
Notes
