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Deli Style Dill Pickles
  • American
  • Side
  • Party
  • Summer

Deli Style Dill Pickles

These classic deli-style dill pickles are everything a good pickle should be—crisp, tangy, and bursting with bold seasoning. Naturally fermented over two weeks, they develop a deep, savory flavor that pairs perfectly with sandwiches, burgers, or your next BBQ spread. Mini cucumbers soak up a brine infused with garlic, dill seed, mustard, coriander, peppercorns, and just a hint of heat from crushed red pepper. Grape leaves help maintain crunch, while a simple saltwater ferment brings it all together without vinegar. The result? A fresh, old-world pickle that’s easy to make and impossible to resist.

By Russell Toris
Prep
2 hr
Cook
2 wk
Total
2 wk 2 hr
Servings
10
Difficulty
Intermediate

Instructions

  1. Soak the cucumbers

    Place the mini cucumbers in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let them soak for 2 hours to help preserve their crunch.

  2. Prepare the brine

    Warm 1⁄2 gallon of water on the stovetop or in the microwave until just warm. Do not boil. Dissolve the 6 tablespoons of non-iodized sea salt into the warm water, stirring until completely dissolved.

  3. Prepare the fermentation jar

    In a clean and sterilized 1-gallon glass jar, add the chopped garlic, dill seed, coriander seed, mustard seed, black peppercorns, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper.

  4. Pack the cucumbers

    Drain the soaked cucumbers and arrange them vertically in the jar over the spices, packing them tightly but gently.

  5. Add the brine

    Pour the prepared brine over the cucumbers until they are completely submerged. If additional brine is needed, make more using a ratio of 1 scant tablespoon non-iodized salt per 1 cup warm water.

  6. Add the grape leaf and weight

    Place the of grape leaf over the cucumbers to help keep them submerged and crisp. Place a clean, sterile fermentation weight on top of the grape leaf so everything remains completely submerged beneath the brine.

  7. Begin fermentation

    Cover the jar loosely with a lid or a clean cloth secured with a rubber band. Do not seal the jar tightly, as gases need to escape during fermentation. Leave the jar at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks. The brine may become cloudy during fermentation, which is normal.

  8. Check during fermentation

    Check the jar every few days and skim off any white film that forms on the surface of the brine.

  9. Finish the pickles

    After 2 weeks, remove the fermentation weight and grape leaves. Seal the jar with a proper lid.

  10. Refrigerate

    Store the finished pickles in the refrigerator to slow fermentation and enjoy as needed.

R

Recipe by

Russell Toris

@russell-toris