Photo of Lower-sodium homemade dill pickles by WW

Lower-sodium homemade dill pickles

0
Points® value
Total Time
12 hr 8 min
Prep
5 min
Cook
3 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
These homemade pickles have a ton of flavour without all the sodium usually found in commercial varieties. And unlike fermented or traditional canning-method pickles which can take weeks, refrigerator pickles simply soak up flavour from a vinegar-based brine and are ready to enjoy in as little as 12 hours. Ours take on lots of herby goodness from fresh dill and a savoury hit from garlic cloves and a bay leaf. We use far less salt than classic recipes, keeping the flavour fresher. We recommend Kirby cucumbers for thin, unwaxed skins and superior crunchy texture; they might also be labeled “pickling cucumbers,” and we’ve also seen a brand of packaged-in-bags Kirbys labeled “fresh pickles.”

Ingredients

Water

½ cup(s)

White vinegar

½ cup(s)

Kosher salt

¾ tsp(s)

Mustard seed

½ tsp(s)

Kirby cucumber

10 oz, thinly sliced

Garlic

3 clove(s), large, halved

Fresh dill

5 sprig(s)

Bay leaf

1 leaf/leaves

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and mustard seeds; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the salt dissolves.
  2. Meanwhile, place the cucumbers in a pint-sized jar; tuck in the garlic, dill, and bay leaf. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jar. Close the lid and refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving. Pickles will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
  3. Serving size: about ¼ cup