Homemade Cucumber Dill Pickles – a delicious addition to your kitchen. With this recipe, I will show you how easy it is to make your own at home. A balanced mix of vinegar, sugar, spices and dill produces a mild, slightly sweet pickle. You will find many ways to use these crunchy, tangy Dill Pickles.
400g(14 oz) baby/pickling cucumbers – I use Lebanese CucumbersSee Note 1
1mediumbrown/yellow onion
1 ½tablespooncoarse sea saltSee Notes 2 and 3
1cup(250 ml) white vinegarSee Note 4
¾cup(165 g) sugar
2teaspoonwhole yellow mustard seeds
¼teaspoonground turmeric
¼teaspoonred chilli pepper flakes
2tablespoonfresh dill - finely chopped
Instructions
To Sterilise the Jars:
Sterilise the jar or jars you'll be using to store the pickles. Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well. Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts – if they do, allow them to air dry, instead of placing in the oven.Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and place the jars in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Keep the jars warm.
For the Cucumber Dill Pickles:
Wash and dry the cucumbers. Remove the top and end.Thinly slice – approximately ½ cm (⅕ inch) thick.
Peel the onion and remove the tip. Cut the onion in half, and thinly slice into half moons. Discard the root end.
In a large bowl, add the cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 4 hours.
Tip the cucumbers and onions into a colander and drain the excess liquid. Discard the liquid.Place the cucumber and onion slices into the warm, sterilised jar, along with the fresh dill.
In a non-reactive saucepan (See Note 5), place the vinegar, sugar, red chilli pepper flakes, ground turmeric and mustard seeds.On a medium heat, stir to dissolve the sugar.Once the sugar is dissolved, simmer the liquid for 2 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and carefully pour the pickling liquid into the jar with the cucumber, onions and dill.
Seal the jar immediately, and allow to cool on the bench before placing in the refrigerator. The Cucumber Dill Pickles can be enjoyed once cool, but I recommend leaving them for 24-48 hours to allow the flavours to develop
Video
Notes
Cucumbers: I have used baby Lebanese Cucumbers in this recipe. Baby/pickling cucumbers are best to use for their size and crispness.
Coarse sea salt: ensure you use cooking salt or coarse sea salt. Regular table salt may contain anti-caking agents and is much stronger.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Vinegar: I have used white vinegar that is 5% in acidity. You can also use apple cider or white wine vinegar – just ensure the acidity level is 5%.
Non-reactive saucepans: are those which are ceramic, stainless steel, glass or enamelled cookware. Copper, iron and aluminium pans are reactive. Acidic foods, such as lemons or vinegar, may take on a metallic taste and discolour if cooked in such pans.
Storage: once the jars have cooled, store the pickles in the fridge for up to three months. This is a quick pickle recipe not designed for long term canning.
Nutritional information: is based on the entire jar, and includes the pickling liquid.