Making homemade pickles is actually really easy! This recipe calls for a mix of fresh ingredients that produce pickles (and other pickled vegetables) with just the perfect amount of flavor and zip that everyone loves.
I’m all for buying jarred pickles, but recently I saw lemon and pickling cucumbers at the farmer’s market and it inspired me to make my own pickle recipe. There are tons of herbs and spices you can use to make pickles, but I prefer classic and simple. This recipe works great for making classic cucumber pickles of course, but we love adding tons of different vegetables to make a rainbow of pickled deliciousness. I love making homemade pickles because the kids get super stoked to help me with a fun project in the kitchen and inevitably gets them excited about eating the veggies in a couple days!
I think that my kids get their love of pickles from my side of the family, although my husband argues it’s a double gene since he fondly recalls times spent as a kid on the Lower East Side of New York picking his pickles from the wooden barrels of his father’s favorite pickle man. My mother and I are both obsessive pickle eaters whether they’re made from cucumbers, okra, carrots or pretty much any other veggie.
How to Make Homemade Pickles
Making homemade pickled vegetables couldn’t be easier. Here’s how to do it:
- Grab one pound of your favorite vegetables (I made a list of what we use below). Pack the vegetables, dill, garlic and bay leaves into two clean 16 ounce mason jars. Leave about an inch at the top to have room for the liquid.
- Combine the salt, sugar, vinegar and water in a small sauce pan over low/medium heat. Stir until salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Allow the liquid to cool slightly to warm then pour into the tow jars making sure all of the vegetables are covered with the brine.
- Close the jars tightly and refrigerate for 2-3 days before eating.
Best Vegetables for Pickling
You really can’t go wrong with what vegetables you choose to pickle, but here are some of my family’s favorites:
- Carrots
- Lemon Cucumbers
- Green Beans
- Asparagus
- Cauliflower
- Peppers
- Celery
- Green Tomatoes
- Jalapeños
- Okra
- Pickling Cucumbers
- Red Onions
I love having homemade pickles in our refrigerator for burger night or to use in egg salad or wraps. What’s your favorite way to eat pickles? Let me know in the comments!
Photos by Ivan Solis
Easy Homemade Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 pound vegetables of choice, cut into equal sizes
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar (you could also use champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar)
- 1 cup water
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 6 sprigs dill
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Divide the vegetables between 2 16 oz. mason jars.
- Combine salt, sugar, vinegar and water in sauce pan over low heat. Whisk to combine until salt and sugar are fully dissolved.
- Divide the garlic, dill and bay leaves between the jars.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and cover the jars.
- Refrigerate and start enjoying after 2-3 days. You can eat them up to 1 month.
Is it possible that there is an error on the salt measurement for this recipe? I made them this weekend and mine were inedible due to the salt. And we like salt! =)
Just wondering if the amount of salt is necessary for the pickling process or if we could cut back and get same crunchy results? I loved them but they were a bit too salty… I ended up using them in egg salad, tuna salad, grilled cheese and sandwiches bc I couldn’t eat them alone… They were so amazing though!
These turned out so good, so crunchy! Our favorite is the carrots, pure yum. My 4 year old son ate almost the whole jar. They were a little salty for us too, so next time I make them I will cut down on the salt. Thanks for the recipe. Never buying pickles again!
I was pretty nervous to try these on my own (just thought they wouldn’t turn out) but i have to say they turned out great! I think my only thing is that they are *quite* salty. Much more than store bought which tend to be more vinegary. I’d probably lower the salt to 2-3T unless the salt is there at that high amount for a particular purpose. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made these and they were great. Now we’ve got a TON of cukes from our garden and I want to put them up. Can you use this recipe to can them in a a canning pot? Any idea how long to boil?
Costco sells Agave Necter
Yes they do, kenya loves these!
Do these stay crispy? I love Claussen pickles because they stay so crisp. No other store bought pickle has ever come close but I’d love to try making my own.
You can substitute the agave for the same amount of honey or maple syrup.
Agave nectar isn’t available where I live (at least not that I’ve found). So I use sugar (ugh, i hate it too!). You wouldn’t happen to know the amount of sugar I would use for this recipe would you? Thanks!
Hi! Just wondering what the agave nectar adds to this recipe – trying to determine if it is optional. Thanks, Ginny