Dill Pickle Chips Recipe
A hot vinegar-salt-sugar brine poured directly over thin cucumber slices seasons them fast without any canning equipment, and slicing the cucumbers into chips instead of spears means the brine fully penetrates within a day, so the pickles are crisp and tangy without weeks of waiting.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 1 day
- Servings
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs pickling cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch chips
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 cloves garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh dill sprigs
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 27
- Protein
- 1g
- Carbs
- 6g
- Fat
- 0g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Wash the cucumbers well, trim off and discard about 1/8 inch from the blossom end of each one, then slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds.
- 2In a small saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar fully dissolve, then remove from heat.
- 3Divide the garlic, dill sprigs, peppercorns, mustard seed, and red pepper flakes between clean quart jars, then pack the cucumber slices in tightly on top.
- 4Pour the hot brine over the cucumbers until fully submerged, leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace. Tap the jar firmly on the counter a few times to release trapped air bubbles.
- 5Let the jar cool uncovered on the counter for about 30 minutes, then seal with a lid and refrigerate.
- 6Chill for at least 24 hours before eating, though the pickles taste best and stay crunchiest after 48 hours. Keep refrigerated and use within 2 months.
Tips & variations
- Use pickling cucumbers (like Kirby), not standard slicing cucumbers; their thinner skin and firmer, less watery flesh hold up better in brine and stay crunchier.
- For extra crunch, soak the sliced cucumbers in ice water for 30 minutes before packing them into the jar and draining well.
- Swap the dill sprigs for 2 tablespoons of dill seed if fresh dill isn't available; the flavor is slightly more concentrated but works well.
- For a spicier version, add a few sliced jalapeno rounds or an extra 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to each jar.
Storage & reheating
Keep the jar tightly sealed in the refrigerator; the chips stay good and crisp for up to 2 months. There's no reheating involved, and these are not shelf-stable, they must stay refrigerated at all times, not stored at room temperature like canned pickles.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Slicing all the cucumber rounds to a consistent 1/4-inch thickness helps them pickle at the same rate, so none end up under-seasoned or overly soft.
- A wide-mouth quart jar makes packing the cucumber slices in tightly much easier than a narrow-neck jar.
FAQ
How long do dill pickle chips last in the fridge?
Stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, they stay crisp and safe to eat for up to 2 months. Flavor is best within the first 3 to 4 weeks.
Why are my pickle chips soft instead of crunchy?
Soft pickles usually mean the blossom end wasn't trimmed off, the cucumbers were sliced too thin, or standard waxed slicing cucumbers were used instead of pickling cucumbers.
Can I can these dill pickle chips for shelf storage?
This recipe is a refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable canned pickle. To store them outside the fridge, they would need to be processed in a boiling water bath using a tested canning recipe and proper jar sealing.
Can I reuse the leftover brine?
The brine can be reused once for a second small batch of fresh cucumber slices, but it will be weaker and less acidic, so treat that second batch as a quicker-eating, shorter-shelf-life pickle.
