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    Apple Cider Vinegar Dill Pickles

    Feb 13, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links.

    What's better than dill pickles? Easy homemade apple cider vinegar dill pickles! This healthy recipe yields herbaceous, garlicy, crisp and tangy pickles - that will be sure to please your taste buds, and help you use up that goodness in your garden.

    homemade apple cider dill pickles 1 scaled

    Why you'll love this recipe:

    Over the holidays my mother and law came for a visit and showed me how to make homemade dill pickles. It was the perfect way to use up those fresh garden herbs, and so much more simpler than I would have imagined. These pickles are a marinated in a solution of apple cider vinegar, salt, spices, seeds, herbs and sugar. No special equipment, no canning, and no special - out of the ordinary - ingredients were needed. If you love pickles, you will love making this version at home.

    Ingredients:

    You can really get creative here. Add additional herbs and spices for infused flavors and benefits. See notes below for variation recommendations!

    • 8 to 10 pickling cucumbers
    • 4 garlic cloves, halved
    • 1 small onion, quartered
    • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
    • 2 teaspoons peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon fennel (optional)
    • Dill sprigs + additional fresh herbs if you have them
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
    • ¼ cup cane sugar
    • 2 tablespoons sea salt
    still life image composed of wooden bowl of cucumbers, lilacs, vinegar, onions

    Step by step how to make them:

    My method for how to make pickles couldn’t be simpler! Here I'll show you how to make pickles with images every step of the way. Here’s how it goes:

    • Prepare your cucumbers. There is no right or wrong here. Leave them whole if desired. Slice them lengthwise into quarters to make spears, like we did. Or thinly slice them horizontally to make dill pickle chips. Either way, they will be delicious.
    • Prepare the jars for pickling! Divide the cucumbers among 4 8-ounce or 2 16-ounce jars, and add fresh dill and other herbs, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, and peppercorns and optional fennel to each jar of pickles.
    woman's hand dropping peppercorns into jars for pickles
    • Make the brine. I use a mix of water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt.
    large saucepan with apple cider vinegar brine for apple cider vinegar pickles

    • Let them pickle in the fridge. These pickles need to sit in the brine for five days for best flavor.
    pouring apple cider vinegar brine into homemade dill pickles

    Frequently asked questions:

    Why we use apple cider vinegar:

    If you've read my blog before, it's no secret I love raw apple cider vinegar. Is there anything it can't do? I use it on my hair, infused with oils to help me clean, and drink it in my fire cider and magical morning drink. ACV is believed to have some incredible health benefits. And this fermented apple component of our drink contains amino acid, potassium, magnesium, calcium, beta carotene, acid, enzymes, and pectin. All of this gets absorbed into your pickles.

    How long do refrigerator pickles last?

    Refrigerator pickles stay fresh in the fridge for up to one month, and they get better as time goes on. To make sure they have good flavor, wait 5 to seven days to try.

    Variation recommendation:

    • Add jalapeños or red chili flakes for an extra spicy pickle!
    • Use any other vegetable you'd like, like red onions, radish or cauliflower with this method.
    • Add any other herbs you have growing abundantly in your garden to the mix.

    jar of homemade apple cider vinegar pickles - cucumbers with onions, garlic, seeds in a rustic table with apple cider vinegar in a decanter and lavender flowers in a basket in the background

    close up shot of homemade dill pickles soaking in apple cider vinegar with purple lilacs in the background in a basket

    Apple cider vinegar dill pickles

    sarah
    What's better than dill pickles? Easy homemade apple cider vinegar dill pickles! This healthy recipe yields herbaceous, garlicy, crisp and tangy pickles - that will be sure to please your taste buds, and help you use up that goodness in your garden.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Sides
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 16 oz jars of pickles

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 to 10 pickling cucumbers
    • 4 garlic cloves halved
    • 1 small onion quartered
    • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
    • 2 teaspoons peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon fennel optional
    • Dill sprigs + additional fresh herbs if you have them
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
    • ¼ cup cane sugar
    • 2 tablespoons sea salt

    Instructions
     

    • Keep your pickles whole, or make pickle spears, slice the cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. To make dill pickle chips, thinly slice them horizontally.
    • Divide the cucumbers among 2 16-ounce jars. Divide the onion, garlic, mustard seeds, fennel, peppercorns, dill sprigs and other herbs (if using) among each jar.
    • Heat the water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let cool for several minutes, and then pour over the cucumbers in the jar. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store the pickles in the fridge.
    • Pickle spears will start to pickle after two days. Let them sit for at least five for most flavor. but their best flavor will start to develop around day 5 or 6. Pickle chips will be lightly pickled in 1 day. Store in the fridge for several weeks.

    Notes

    Refrigerator pickles stay fresh in the fridge for up to one month, and they get better as time goes on. To make sure they have good flavor, wait 5 to seven days to try.
    Keyword acv recipes, apple cider vinegar pickles, homemade pickles
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    I hope this recipe works beautifully for you and is enjoyed for many years to come. Thank you so much for reading. Your visit to my site helped support a small mama run business today. If you enjoyed it, I would be so honored if you would share with your loved ones.

    Sending love, fresh baked cookies, and a bouquet of your favorite flowers.

    Sarah Buckley signature

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    About sarah

    Sarah Buckley is the go-to expert for anyone looking to add some botanical flair and creativity in their kitchen. She is a master gardener, herbalist, edible flower expert, professional food photographer and recipe developer. She teaches people how to use botanicals creatively with their culinary work from the garden to table to or apothecary, ensuring they're using safe practices throughout all aspects of plant handling.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ashley says

      October 24, 2022 at 2:50 am

      I made this recipe today! 2 days until I try the pickles 🙂

      I didnt have mustard seeds or fennel but used dill & garlic. Really looking forward to seeing how it turns out

      Reply
      • sarah says

        October 24, 2022 at 4:50 am

        No worries Ashley! They will still be delicious. Mustard seed and garlic do add a lot of that nostalgic pickle flavor we know and love, but I bet they are still excellent and bursting with dill flavor! I hope you will love them, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. xo with love, Sarah

        Reply
    2. Bliss T says

      May 20, 2023 at 12:03 am

      5 stars
      I LOVE THIS RECIPE BECAUSE I WANTED TO DO MY PICKLES FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I HAD APPLE CIDER VINEGAR ! I GOT INSPIRED ? (I replaced mustard seeds with sesame seeds) ...5 days until I taste my pickles ?

      Reply
      • sarah says

        May 21, 2023 at 1:15 pm

        Thank you so much for your comment! The sesame seeds wont offer the spicey kick mustard seeds give, but as long as you've added herbs and other things I'm sure they will still be really yummy. Hope you love them!

        Reply

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