My dad makes the BEST PICKLES ever! There’s never been a pickle-liking man or woman that didn’t like these pickles. They’re crunchy, garlicky, salty and they’ve got a kick to ’em. The recipe was given to my dad from my aunt and they each gave the recipe their own twist. Over the years my dad has tweaked the recipe and they have become famous amongst our friends and family! Once a year each August my dad and I wake up super early in the morning, go to the farmers market right when it opens and pick out the freshest ingredients to make his famous pickles. We buy fresh mini cucumbers, carrots, celery, garlic, hot peppers and dill. Then we spend all day making enough pickles to last us the whole year. So I’m very excited that I get to share my dad’s absolute best dill pickle recipe with all of you today! And pickle making season is RIGHT NOW so be sure to try this recipe before the season is over. 🙂
Fresh dill! You’re going to want a lot of that.
Green Thai chili peppers!
My dad showing off a perfect soon-to-be-pickle.
Pickle prep!
This ↑ is what the inside of your jars will look like before you add the cucumbers. And for reference that is what I mean when I say “one branch of dill with flowers” in the recipe.
Make sure to stuff your pickles in that jar real good! This is what your jars will look like once the mini cucumbers are all packed in. After this comes the salt brine and then you’re ready to seal them up and let the pickling process begin!
- 1/2 bushel small cucumbers
- 1 large bunch fresh dill / 1 individual branch with flowers per jar
- 24 green Thai peppers / 1 per jar, cut in half
- 1 heaping teaspoon pickling spice per jar
- 24 garlic cloves / 1 per jar, cut in half
- celery / 1-2 stick(s) per jar
- carrots / 1-2 carrot(s) per jar
- 16 cups distilled water
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- Soak cucumbers in cold water. Meanwhile, it’s time to start prepping the other ingredients. Cut each garlic clove in half. Cut each hot pepper in half, discarding the stems. Peel carrots and cut celery.
- Fill each jar with a heaping teaspoon of pickling spice, two garlic clove halves, two pepper halves, one branch of dill with flowers, and one or two pieces of carrot and celery. Set jars aside and rinse cucumbers to remove any extra dirt and residue.
- Pack pickling cucumbers into jar on top of seasoning and spices. Pack them as tightly as you can. Large cucumbers on the bottom, smaller on top.
- Next, in an extra large bowl mix distilled water and kosher salt to make the salt brine. Once well mixed, fill each jar almost to the top with the salt brine. Make sure all pickles are submerged in it. Tighten the tops of each jar and let them sit at room temperature for three hours. Tighten again after three hours to ensure they are tightly sealed. Then, let them sit and pickle at room temperature for at least three weeks.
- After three weeks they are all yours to enjoy!
Nice pickles, very delicious
LOVE these pickles, and wish my birthday was after they were made!
Thank you Tedi for sharing my recipe. I am convinced anyone who makes the pickles according to the detailed recipe will not be disappointed and will continue to make them year after year since I am proud to say there ain’t no better. One little tidbit. After four weeks stick’em in the fridge until you are ready to consume a jar this keeps them real fresh and crispy, Happy Pickling!
Good point from the pickle master himself.
Fabulous!!! Thanks for such a thorough description and directive on how to make your Dad’s famous pickles!! Thank you as well for crediting your “aunt” (me…who got the recipe from my Granfather Harry Heiligman) for setting him on his course.
These are super pickles! I like getting a jar for my birthday – yum!!