This pretty pickles recipe is all about pickles, not just any ol’ pickles but pretty pickles. You know those gorgeous fully-colored store pickles but without artificial ingredients.

Pretty pickles, does that sound funny to you?

If you are at all like me (someone who wanted to begin growing a garden just to learn to make homemade pickles) then a pretty pickles recipe is just that obvious wow factor.

You know when you go look at the store and the pickles look so bright and pop with color.

Well, I am sure you know that pop of color is most often yellow 5, yup artificial colors in the pickles. We won’t get into what health issues are connected to that junk but trust me you don’t want it in your body or your loved ones either.

Artificial colors, ugh… but why does that have to put that in there you ask? I know, I ask these same questions.

However, for years I have wanted to make that jar of beautiful pickles complete with fresh dill, spices floating around, and yes that iconic pop of color.

But healthy color.

This recipe was born from that desire.

And if you follow this blog much at all you might recognize the recipe is based on my Best EVER Homemade Pickle Recipe, but slightly different.

Refrigerator Pickle Recipe or Canning Pickle Recipe

Is this a quick pickle recipe or a canning recipe? Yes, it is both. You can take this recipe and make a quick pickle store it in the fridge for a week or two and have an amazing pickle fast. You can also take this recipe to make yourself a pantry full of homegrown, canned, and shelf-stable pickles.

Pickle Ingredients

Ingredients are important and (in these modern times when much of the food is filled with junk) what isn’t in a recipe is almost just as important as what is in a recipe.

What you will need:

5 pounds of a pickling-type cucumber
6 cups of water
3 cups white vinegar
3 tbsp pickling salt (or sea salt if you prefer)
fresh dill
2-4 tsp mustard seed
2-4 tsp peppercorns (this is a must because it makes turmeric more beneficial in your body)
1- 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 tsp dill seed
onion (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Grape leaves, oak, or horseradish leaves (optional but adds tannins that help keep the pickles crisp)
canning supplies (if you plan to can them)
glass jars for either a refrigerator or canning

5 Quarts

Pretty Pickles

Ingredients

5 lbs Pickling cucumbers
6 cups Water
3 cups White vinegar
3 Tbsp Pickling salt
Fresh Dill
2-4 tsp Mustard seed
2-4 tsp Peppercorns
1-1 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3-4 tsp Dill seed
Onion (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Grape leaves (*optional* provide tannins and help keep pickles crisp)

Instructions

For Canning

Wash, clean, and trim cucumber ends. Store in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to start canning, put the cucumbers into an ice water bath to sit out on the counter while you work. This step helps ensure your pickles stay crisp and not mushy.
Fill water bath canner and place your cleaned and prepared jars in the canner to start them getting hot and sterilized.
In a small saucepan place your lids (not rings) in a small amount of water to soften the seal and sterilize the lids.
To make your brine: combine water, vinegar, pickling salt, and turmeric in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
While the brine is heating up and the jars are warming. Collect the spices, peel garlic, and slice cucumbers into the desired shape if necessary.
Once the brine is well heated, not yet to a boil but close. Remove jars from canner only as you are ready to fill that jar. place your garlic, and 1/2-1 tsp (depending on desired taste) of each dill seed and mustard seed into every pint jar, or split that if using pint jars. Then pack cucumbers into the jar as tightly as you can get them in. Fill the jar with brine leaving 1-inch headspace, repeat until each jar is filled * With this step, you will want to make sure you work quickly, you don't want your jars to cool too much before you add hot brine and put them back in the canner. The fast temperature changes are what cause jars to break!!
If you are using fresh dill head or grape leaves for freshness add those in while packing in the cucumbers.
Place a sterilized lid on each filled jar, add a ring, and tighten to hand tightness.
Place jars into the canner, making sure the water level in the canner is at least 1 inch over the tops of the jars.
You want your canner to be at a full boil. Let the pickles process in the canner like this for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Then lift the jars out of the canner to completely cool on the counter.
The lids should be down and not popped up as a sign if it sealed well or not. If it did not seal just put it in the fridge to store they are still perfectly fine.
Leave pickles for at least a month before opening, for the best flavor.

For a Quick/ Refrigerator Pickle

Wash, clean, and trim cucumber ends. Store in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to start pickling, put the cucumbers into an ice water bath to sit out on the counter while you work. This step helps ensure your pickles stay crisp.
To make your brine: combine water, vinegar, pickling salt, and turmeric in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
While the brine is heating up, collect the spices, peel garlic, and slice cucumbers into the desired shape if necessary.
Once the brine is well heated, not yet to a boil but close. Begin to pack your jars. Garlic, and 1/2-1 tsp (depending on desired taste) of each dill seed and mustard seed into every pint jar, or split that if using pint jars. Then pack cucumbers into the jar as tightly as you can get them in. Fill the jar with brine leaving a little bit of space at the top.
If you are using fresh dill head or grape leaves for freshness add those in while packing in the cucumbers.
Lid your jars, and leave them on the counter to cool off.
Place quick pickle jars in the fridge and leave them for 1+ week before opening for the best flavor.

This Pretty Pickle Recipe is a perfect fix for that grocery store’s artificially colored pickle. They are as beautiful and eye-catching making for a great gift for the holiday season and best of all their homemade ♡♡♡

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Beth

Beth is a mother of 6 living on a handful of acres in an old farmhouse in central Kansas. Beth has a background in the military and health and fitness however her passions come from her homestead life. Beth is an enthusiastic homeschooling mom, avid organic gardener, chicken & goat wrangler, who is obsessed with herbs and natural remedies and maintaining an all-around Do-It-Yourself lifestyle. Beth loves to share all she has learned about and sustainable living. While striving for a healthy, natural life, family-centered life.