The BEST Half Sour Pickles recipe there is! These easy homemade pickles taste just like New York Crunchy pickles. No canning is needed to make these delicious pickles, just throw them in the refrigerator for a few days! Make them to find out why they’re so popular!
If I could stand on top of a mountain I would yell “I love pickles!”. I really do. They’re pretty, they’re crunchy, they’re full of flavor, they hit the right spot in the afternoon when you need a snack, they’re great on a burger, they’re great at 4AM standing in front of the refrigerator.
How to Make Half Sour Pickles
Pickles, they’re just really good.
With the cucumber plants in full producing mode right now we have been picking (and pickling!) quite a few kirby cucumbers. Did you know cucumbers are one of the easiest vegetables to grow? We currently have 6 mason jars full of pickles in the refrigerator!
If you are in Brooklyn and are in need of a pickle, I’m your girl! I have been trying to get the perfect half sour pickles after years of swooning at all the NYC pickle places. Finally, I got it just right!
Half Sour Pickles Recipe
A few notes about these half sour beauties:
-These don’t have vinegar in them. You see I have a fear of the smell of vinegar, I just get freaked out. So I have been desperately trying to figure out how to make delicious pickles with seasonings to make up for the lack of vinegar. THIS IS IT! In this one instead of using vinegar we use sea salt water!
-I would leave these in your refrigerator at least 4 days before you bite into one. After that, good luck not finishing the jar in a day or 2. If you have control of your fingers going in the pickle jar though, these last for weeks.
-Kirby cucumbers are the best for pickles.
Refrigerator Pickles Recipe
-If you don’t have Kirbies, that’s totally ok, but I recommend if you are using big cucumbers to cut them up into spears first (they will fit better into the jar most likely too).
-Please don’t skip on the seasonings. These pickles soak alongside delicious garlic, fresh dill, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and bay leaves.
-This recipe uses a half gallon mason jar. The ingredients and amount of water to salt ratio in this recipe is for this sized jar.
-If your pickles are soft and not crunchy when done, please check out Ball Pickle Crisp. It works great to keep that fresh crunch!
Fresh kirby cucumbers just picked from the garden!
One of the yummy herbs in this recipe is coriander seeds. If you have a cilantro plant and you neglect it, it will turn into coriander seeds. Awesome, right? I always do this every year so I get fresh coriander to last until next harvest season.
You can use a mortar and pestle to crush your dry ingredients or you can be like me and just use a tool (I don’t know the name of this so let’s just go with “tool”) to bash it all together. A rolling pin works great too. So does a hammer.
Put your cucumbers in the jar, then add your garlic.
Then your crushed dry ingredients.
Pick a few pieces of fresh dill. Doesn’t it smell great?
Then add your salt water and fresh dill.
Keep filling your jar with water until your cucumbers are completely covered. In the jar above, a little bit of the salt water still needs to be added.
Now it’s the hard part.. waiting for a few days to eat them!
But when it’s time… it will be worth it!
If you are making batches as you harvest, and you use similar jars sometimes it gets confusing to keep track of the ones that have been sitting the longest. To do this I use chalk or a Sharpie and write on the lid. #1 = eat first, #2 = eat next, #3 = eat next next.. etc.
Enjoy! 🙂
Looking for more cucumber recipes? Try my Sugar Glazed Cucumber Bread (yes you can bake with cucumbers!), Frosted Cucumber Cookies and Cucumber Tomato Salad!
Update: I shared my favorite Pickled Okra recipe!
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If you try this Half Sour Pickles recipe, please leave a comment or share it on Instagram with tag #brooklynfarmgirl – I’m always looking for photos to feature and share!
Half Sour Pickles
PrintIngredients
- 5 kirby cucumbers or however many you can fit into your jar
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- few pieces of fresh dill
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 6 cups water
- additional whole coriander seeds and peppercorns to add on top
Instructions
- Wash your cucumbers.
- Dissolve your sea salt in the water.
- Grind up all the dry ingredients (coriander, mustard seeds, peppercorns, 2 bay leaves). If you don’t have a mortar/pestle, throw it in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
- Put the cucumbers in your jar.
- Put the minced garlic in the jar, then ground up spices, then pour the salt water mixture on top. If you have any water left, disregard it.
- Add a few pieces of fresh dill on top.
- Add in your additional coriander seeds, peppercorns and bay leaf.
- Make sure your cucumbers are completely covered in water and close the jar.
- Put in the refrigerator. Let them sit for at least 4 days before eating.
- Enjoy!
Video:
Notes
For a crunchy pickle add 1/4 teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp Granules at the end.
Eileen says
Hi! Can you use pickling salt in this recipe instead of sea salt?
Joe says
Good morning! Just curious why no one (I don’t think) has mentioned that not using vinegar but salt water instead is actually using fermentation to “pickle” the cukes. This method is SUPER healthy for you!
Virginia L. Corcoran says
If you use the same salt/water ratio as the recipe calls for, what difference does it make what size container you use? If smaller than a half gallon, there will just be extra salt water, correct? Would it be too much garlic and spices if you just use a quart container?
Estelle Berry says
Your half sour pickles sound like the ones my Ukrainian grandmother used to make. She never used vinegar, just kosher salt, and they were the best! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Pamela Reed says
Hope they’re just like your Grandmother’s! 🙂 Enjoy Estelle!
Marilyn says
Salt question…. Which brand of salt did you use? As you are aware, different salts weigh different amounts. Do you know the weight of your salt for this recipe? I want yo use enough but not too much. I’m dying to make them!
Joe Wageri says
Holy cow what a jerk!
It’s a legitimate question, as the recipe calls for 1/4 cup sea salt and doesn’t specify weight. Coarse vs fine sea salt will have very different weights for 1/4 cup.
Joe Wageri says
Ps. Diamond vs. Morton’s kosher salt also have very different weights/granule size despite both being kosher. There is much discussion about it. I guess I’m steamed because unlike most of the internet, you can normally count on friendly comments when looking at recipes.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/4ruini/kosher_salt_diamond_or_mortons/
Mitch says
I thought OK….here comes yet another person who thinks they have the ‘magic’ half-sour recipe. I had my doubts. I precisely followed Pamela’s recipe. However, I did not have fresh dill on hand, so I went 1T with the dill seed. I used my favorite pickling cukes (Pick a Bushel Hybrid Cucumber Seeds | Park Seed). Ones that I am very familiar with over the years. I sampled them after 6 days and was disappointed in how tough the skins were and resampled them on day 14 and the skins were PERFECT! I have been making pickles for 7 years/75 quarts and have never been dazzled with my half-sours. Always trying different spins and only reaching a “10” on 2 batches.
I AM STUNNED AND OVERJOYED with how close to the half-sours I grew up with in Detroit Deli’s.
Pamela Reed says
Mitch, comments like this make my day. Seriously. I am so happy that you’re so happy. Keep on enjoying the pickles! 🙂
KPJ says
BEST 1/2 dour recipe ever! First time making any pickles and these are a keeper! Does NOT disappoint!!
Pamela Reed says
Yay, so happy you’re loving the pickles!! 🙂
KPJ says
Do you need to keep cucumbers whole?
Pamela Reed says
If you need to cut them up into spears to fit into the jar that’s totally ok!
KPJ says
Thank you I’m excited to try! I couldn’t find whole coriander seeds wondering if ground could be substituted in a different measurement???? I love your recipes!
Casey says
Hello! I know that you don’t need to can for this recipe, but would it work if I wanted to?
Melissa Majorowski says
I would suggest not canning a recipe without vinegar.
Sander Zulauf says
Simply the best homemade half sour pickles ever! Fresh cukes from the garden and perfection four days later in the fridge. Thanks Brooklyn Farm Girl!
Pamela Reed says
So happy to hear you liked them Sander! Thanks for stopping by, keep on enjoying them pickles! 🙂
Ed B says
Does the water and salt need to be cool before putting it in the jar
Melissa Majorowski says
This is a no heat recipe
Molly Morrisey says
I loved everything about this recipe except the saltiness. Did I do something wrong? After five days they were practically inedible. But my daughter tried them after 2 days and said they were perfect. What happened? Do they just continue to get saltier?
Jean Marc ùbérubé says
I enjoyed the half sours and the fact that they are so easy to make. Let me share this recipe for potato cucumber salad. Boil new potatoes to al dent statutes. Cool and cube. Slice lengthwise an English cucumber (I keep the peel on), slice out the seeds and cube and add to cubed potatoes. Add sliced green onions (optional), lots of chopped dill and your favourite vinaigrette (I mix olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, bit of sugar, thyme and salt and pepper). Enjoy
Pamela Reed says
Thanks for sharing the cucumber salad recipe Jean! Happy to hear you liked the pickles! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Pamela G MacNeill says
It’s the best recipe I’ve found so far for half sours. Delicious!
Pamela Reed says
So happy you liked the pickles Pamela! (nice name btw 😉 )
Carol A says
Just made my 3rd batch from this recipe. They are fantastic! And I can make them with farmer’s market kirbys for half the price of buying a jar in the store.
Kenneth J Krasko says
I just made 4 jars of your pickles. I will let you know in a few days how they turn out.
Can you tell me how long they will last refrigerated?
Also will the taste change drastically over time?
Debra lilly says
Can these pickles be made shelf stable with a water bath?
Amy Rebekah Galyon says
I honestly thought everyone was exaggerating when they said this recipe makes the best half sour pickles ever but THEY ARE AMAZING! Truly the best EVER
Pamela Reed says
Hahaha, so happy you made the pickles Amy! Thanks for stopping by, keep on enjoying! 🙂
Deborah H. says
This is an excellent recipe but it should include the salt weight (60g to 65g per 1/4 C. of fine sea salt, depending on the conversion website viewed) along with the volume amount given.
1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal salt = 10g
1 Tbsp. non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt = 15g
1 Tbsp. Diam. Crystal = 1 ½ tsp. table/sea salt
When measuring salt by weight, you will get the expected result. If cooking using volume measurements (Tablespoons, teaspoons, etc.) with different types of salt, the end result may be different than expected.
Marilyn says
Exactly!!!’ Different salt, different weights, different results. I’ve been on a campaign to have all writers of pickle recipes list the salt by weight. Then results would be consistent. Thank you for posting this!
Marilyn Adams says
Ok. So…..given the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sea salt….. approximate weight of that is @60 g of salt. Given that, Diamond Crystal would be 6 tablespoons (at 10 g per tablespoon) to equal the same amount of saltiness as that 1/4 c sea salt. Right? I usually try to keep Diamond Crystal as a common factor. It’s easier that way.So many different salts out there so converting a recipe to weight will allow us to weigh our salt we want to use to get common results.