If there was only one condiment I could put on a hamburger, chicken sandwich, or pulled pork, it would be pickles, extra pickles. Either Bread and butter pickles or dill pickles, I love them both equally. As soon as the pickling cucumbers start showing up at the Farmer's Market, I rush home to begin making either these Bread and Butter Pickles or these Sweet and Spicy Refrigerator Pickles. When the pickling cucumber season ends, I return back to eating store bought jarred pickles. Although nothing store bought tastes quite like really good homemade pickles.
While having lunch at the Bird and Jim restaurant in Estes Park after a great morning hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, my insanely good hamburger came with a side of some really delicious homemade cucumber pickles. As I sat at the bar and started to wolf down the burger, before slowing down to savor it along with the unusual sweet potato rounds and homemade pickles, I had a pickle epiphany. Why was I waiting for the arrival of pickling cucumber season to make homemade pickles and enjoying them for maybe only three months a year? Why wasn't I making pickles year round using cucumbers? Well there are no good answers to those questions. But pickle making was now about to change forever.
As soon I returned home from my trip I went on the down the rabbit hole hunt for dill pickle recipes. Only I didn't have to go down too far this time.
All of the other pickle recipes posted on the blog are made by pouring a hot brine over the sliced cucumbers. This one is different. As these Cucumber Dill Pickles are made with a cold brine. One of the benefits of using a cold brine is you end up with a slightly crunchier pickle. For maximum flavor the brined covered cucumber slices need to be refrigerated for at least twenty-four hours. Which technically makes this more of a quick pickle recipe.
Instead of making dill pickle spears, I made dill pickle rounds. Which given the choice between a spear and a round, I much prefer round pickles. I used medium sized cucumbers, cut to 1/4" thickness, to ensure there was a better seed to solid ratio in each slice.
The brine for these Cucumber Dill Pickles has a higher ratio of vinegar to sugar and uses either a jalapeño and/or Thai bird chile. Because I had never used a Thai bird chile before (as well as it being 15 times hotter than a jalapeño) I made the brine with a sliced in half jalapeño. However, I placed a whole Thai bird chile in each jar.
The brine is made at least two hours before you begin layering the sliced cucumbers and dill in your jars. Don't throw away the cooked jalapeño. Top each jar with the cooked in brine sliced in half jalapeño.
These just might be my new favorite dill pickles. Unlike some store-bought dill pickles, these are definitely crunchier, a bit tangier, have a slight bit of heat to them, and just a slight dill flavor. I absolutely loved them!
The recipe for these Cucumber Dill Pickles makes two jars. One to keep, one to give away (but only if you want to). Once you taste them, you too will want to be making them year round. Quite possibly they will become your go to favorite easy to make, homemade dill pickle. These Cucumber Dill Pickles would be perfect as either a condiment, piled high on a burger or sandwich, or as a side dish. I have been known to open up the refrigerator and snack on a few pickles.
With the summer barbecue season officially beginning this weekend, it's perfect timing to begin making Cucumber Dill Pickles. I wouldn't' be at all surprised if you keep making and enjoying homemade pickles long after summer ends.
Recipe
Cucumber Dill Pickles
Ingredients
3 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 jalapeño and/or Thai bird chile, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 medium cucumbers (approximately 1 1/2 pounds of 700g), unpeeled and cut into 1/4" slices
1 1/2 cups (1/2 ounce or 18g) fresh dill fronds
Directions
1. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, Kosher salt, mustard seeds, and jalapeño or Thai bird chile. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool. Refrigerate until cool, approximately 2 hours.
2. Arrange the cucumber slices and dill in two 16 ounce canning jars.
3. Pour the brine into the jars to cover completely. Seal and place in the refrigerator until cool (at least twenty-four hours). Place a half of the jalapeño or Thai bird chile in each jar. Note: I used a jalapeño in the brine but also added a Thai bird chile to each jar.
Notes: (1) Cucumber Dill Pickles will be good for up to one week stored in the refrigerator. (2) This recipe was inspired by the Cucumber Dill Pickle recipe shared in Karen Mordechai's cookbook, Sunday Suppers: Recipes and Gatherings.
Sheep in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (May 2021)
