Pickles In Salt - A Basic How-To Guide
The Oh So Easy Art of Preserving In Salt...
Quick answerMakes 4-6 servings, ready in 4-5 days, Mediterranean cuisine.
This is my grandma's recipe for pickles. We used to pickle in salt vs. vinegar. Personally, I really prefer the salty over the vinegary, acidic flavor. We use whole black peppercorns and small chillies or crushed red pepper for some spiciness, but obviously that's just a preference.
Tips for success:
- Use pickling cucumbers or mini cucumbers
- Big cucumbers can be too "watery" and have too many seeds, which isn't ideal for pickling
- To learn how to sterilize your jars see our post about jams.
- The basic rule of thumb is 1 Tbsp of salt per cup of water
- Don't try to estimate how much salt water you might need. Just make more in advance
- Dissolve the salt in very warm water
Method
- 1
Pickles preparations· 3-5 Minutes
Make the salt water. Add one cup of boiling water to each tbsp of salt. Sterilize the jar in a pot with boiling water
- 2
Filling The Jar· 2 Minutes
Add a bunch of dill, garlic and pepper to the bottom of the jar. Organize the cucumbers nicely in the jar and add the rest of the dill, peppers, garlic and chilly (optional). Cover everything in water and close the lid. Wait patiently for several days. usually 4-5 but it changes depending on the weather and the season.
Recipe by
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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Questions & answers
Can I use dried dill instead of fresh?
The recipe calls for a fresh bunch of dill, so stick with that if you can — dried dill won't give you the same punchy flavor or aroma.
How do I know when the pickles are actually ready?
The recipe says 4–5 days, but weather and season affect the timing, so start tasting around day 3 and pull them when they hit the flavor you like.
Do I have to use chili pepper?
Nope, it's listed as optional — skip it entirely or swap in crushed red pepper if that's what you've got.
Why do I need to sterilize the jar?
It kills off bacteria that could spoil your batch before the salt brine does its job — just boil the jar and you're good to go.
How much salt do I actually need?
One tablespoon of salt per cup of boiling water — so count your cups as you fill the jar and measure accordingly.