2 Proven Homemade Pickles From Scratch Worth Making

Homemade pickles from scratch do not get more real than what I am about to share with you.
There are some smells that never leave you.
Gram’s kitchen on homemade pickles from scratch making day was one of them.

The brine. The vinegar warming on the stove. The cloves and the cinnamon releasing into that small warm space all at once — something sharp and something sweet and something that smelled like nobody else’s kitchen but hers.

I was just a little girl standing in the middle of it trying to take in everything she was doing so I would not forget a single step.

I forgot some of the steps over the years. Time does what time does. But the smell never left. And neither did the love for those pickles — the deep jewel green crystal pickles with whole cloves and broken cinnamon sticks that were absolutely unlike anything I have ever tasted anywhere else.

This summer I found my way back to them.

And I have Uncle Stu and Aunt Marge to thank for that. 💛

It is one of those smells that lives somewhere deeper than memory. The brine. The vinegar warming on the stove. The cloves and the cinnamon releasing into a small warm space all at once. Something sharp and something sweet and something that smelled like nobody else’s kitchen but hers.

Gram made a gazillion different kinds of pickles. Dill. Bread and butter. Saccharin pickles. 45 day pickles. And the ones I have been thinking about my whole life — deep jewel green crystal pickles with whole cloves and broken cinnamon sticks, sliced thin and packed into jars and absolutely delicious in a way I have never been able to fully explain to anyone who was not there to taste them.

I have been trying to get back to those pickles for a long time.

This week I found my way back.

“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.”
Deuteronomy 32:7 KJV

Ask your elders. Write it down. Make it again.

That is exactly what Uncle Stu and Aunt Marge did. 🙏

1. What Gram’s Kitchen Smelled Like

There is no way to fully describe the smell of a kitchen where pickles are being made.

It is the brine first. That sharp clean salt smell that means something is being preserved and kept and cared for. Then the vinegar warming on the stove. Then the spices — the cloves especially, that deep warm fragrance that clings to everything and stays in the kitchen long after the pot has been put away.

Gram’s kitchen smelled like all of that. And then more on top of it because Gram did not just make one kind of pickle. She made every kind. And when you walked into her kitchen on a homemade pickles from scratch making day the smell told you exactly what kind of afternoon it was going to be.

I loved every single one of those afternoons.

I was just a little girl in that kitchen. I did not know I was learning something. I was just watching her hands. Watching her move through a process she had done so many times it no longer required thought. The brine. The weight on top. The patience of 14 days. The syrup poured hot over the slices three days in a row.

I forgot some of the steps over the years. But the smell never left. And neither did the love for those pickles. 🌿

2. How This Homemade Pickles from Scratch Recipe Found Its Way Back to Me

When I started writing about homemade pickles from scratch for Farmstead Chronicles I knew I wanted to include Gram’s crystal pickles. I just did not know if I could find the recipe.

I left messages with my cousins. I called my uncle. And Uncle Stu — my dad’s younger brother — came through with the recipe. He and Aunt Marge had it written down.

I cannot tell you what it meant to hold those instructions in my hands. The 14 day brine. The alum soak. The syrup poured over three days running. The green food coloring that gave them that beautiful jewel color I have been trying to describe to people for years. The whole cloves and the cinnamon sticks broken into small pieces.

It was all there. Exactly as Gram made it.

Uncle Stu and Aunt Marge kept that recipe. And because they kept it, Gram’s crystal pickles get to come back. That is what family does when it is working the way it is supposed to. It remembers. It writes things down. It passes them forward.

This is me passing it forward. 💛

3. These Homemade Pickles from Scratch We Are Making This Summer

This summer my husband and I are starting our homemade pickles from scratch journey in two stages.

First the refrigerator dill pickles. Simple, fast, no water bath canner required, and exactly the kind of small crunchy dill pickle my husband loves. We are testing our brine, adjusting our garlic, figuring out what ratio makes us both happy.

And then Gram’s crystal pickles. The real ones. The 14 day ones. The ones that take patience and intention and the willingness to do the same thing three days in a row because some recipes cannot be rushed and some things are worth the extra time.

We source our cucumbers from local farmers here at Promised Land Ranch, the same ones we trust to supply our own customers. Find the freshest local pickling cucumbers you can. A farm stand, a farmers market, a neighbor with more than they can use. The quality you put in is the quality you get back.

4. Recipe 1. Simple Beginner Dill Refrigerator Pickles

This is where we are starting and where I would tell anyone to start who has never made homemade pickles from scratch before. No water bath canner needed. Just cucumbers, brine, and a jar in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound small pickling cucumbers, sliced into spears or coins
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
• 1 large bunch fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dill seed
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat

Equipment:

• Wide mouth quart Mason jar with lid
• Small saucepan for the brine

Instructions:

Step 1 — Prepare the cucumbers
Wash your cucumbers well and slice off both ends. The blossom end especially — leaving it on can make your pickles soft rather than crunchy. Slice into spears or coins.

Step 2 — Make the brine
Combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat stirring until salt and sugar dissolve completely. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Step 3 — Pack the jar
Place garlic, fresh dill, and peppercorns in the bottom of your clean Mason jar. Pack cucumber slices in tightly on top.

Step 4 — Pour the brine
Pour the warm brine over the cucumbers leaving about half an inch of space at the top. Tap the jar gently to release air bubbles. Place the lid on and let cool to room temperature.

Step 5 — Refrigerate
Once cooled refrigerate for at least 24 hours before tasting. These will keep in the refrigerator for up to two months. In our house they do not last nearly that long. 🌿

5. Recipe #2. Gram’s Crystal Pickles. The Real Recipe

This homemade pickles from scratch recipe belongs to my Gram. It was kept by Uncle Stu and Aunt Marge and I am grateful to them for every word of it.

This is not a quick pickle. It takes 14 days of patience just to get started and four more days of syrup work after that. But if you have ever tasted a crystal pickle made the real way — deep green, impossibly crunchy, sweet and spiced and unlike anything you will find on a grocery store shelf — you already know why it is worth every single day of the wait.

Read through the whole recipe before you begin. Understand the timeline. Then commit to it. Gram did not cut corners on these homemade pickles from scratch and neither should we. 💛

The Timeline:

• Days 1 through 14: Brine soak
• Day 14: Slice, alum soak 6 hours, drain, place in crock
• Day 14 evening: First syrup pour, leave overnight
• Day 15: Second syrup pour, leave overnight
• Day 16: Third syrup pour, leave overnight
• Day 17: Can these homemade pickles from scratch cold

Ingredients:

For the brine:

• 25 dill-sized cucumbers, whole
• 2 cups salt dissolved in 1 gallon of water

For the alum soak:

• 1 heaping tablespoon alum
• Enough cold clean water to cover sliced cucumbers

For the syrup:

• 8 cups sugar (2 quarts)
• 1 quart white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 sticks cinnamon, broken into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons green food coloring (optional but this is what gives them that beautiful jewel color)

Equipment:

• A large crock, stone jar, or enamel pot for the brine — do not use aluminum
• A plate and a quart jar filled with water to use as a weight
• A large canning pot or stockpot
• Mason jars for canning

Instructions:

Days 1 through 14 — The Brine Soak

Place your 25 whole cucumbers into a large crock or enamel container. Dissolve 2 cups of salt in 1 gallon of water and pour over the cucumbers. Place a plate on top of the cucumbers and set a quart jar filled with water on top of the plate to weight everything down and keep the cucumbers submerged.

Leave for 14 days.

Do not panic if a moldy film forms on top of the brine. This is completely normal with an old fashioned salt brine. When the 14 days are up simply fold the film over and skim it off before removing the cucumbers. Gram knew this would happen and she was not bothered by it. Neither should you be.

Day 14 — Slice and Alum Soak

Remove the cucumbers from the brine, rinse them well, and slice them thin. Place the slices into clean cold water with 1 heaping tablespoon of alum dissolved in it. Let them soak for 6 hours.

The alum is what gives these homemade pickles from scratch their signature impossible crunch. Do not skip it and do not shorten the soak time.

After 6 hours drain the cucumbers, rinse them well, and place them in a clean crock.

Day 14 Evening — First Syrup Pour

Combine sugar, vinegar, whole cloves, and broken cinnamon sticks in a large pot. Add green food coloring if using. Bring the syrup to a hard boil. Pour the hot syrup over the sliced cucumbers in the crock. Cover and leave overnight.

Day 15 — Second Syrup Pour

Remove the cucumbers from the syrup. Bring the syrup back to a hard boil. Pour over the cucumbers again. Cover and leave overnight.

Day 16 — Third Syrup Pour

Remove the cucumbers from the syrup one more time. Bring the syrup to a hard boil. Pour over the cucumbers a final time. Cover and leave overnight.

Day 17 — Can These Homemade Pickles from Scratch Cold

On the fourth day pack these homemade pickles from scratch cold into clean Mason jars. Pour the syrup over them. Seal the jars. According to Gram’s recipe these will keep unsealed — but if you want to water bath can them for long term shelf stability process pint jars for 10 minutes.

That is it. Gram’s crystal pickles. Exactly as she made them. 🌿

6. Tips From the Farmstead Kitchen

A few things worth knowing before you make homemade pickles from scratch whether you are starting with the refrigerator dill or committing to Gram’s crystal pickles:

For the crystal pickles — read the whole recipe first. This is not a same day project. It is an 18 day project. Plan accordingly and commit to it before you start the brine.

Use a crock or enamel container for the brine soak. Not aluminum. The salt brine will react with aluminum and affect both the flavor and the safety of these homemade pickles from scratch.

Do not worry about the moldy film. Gram said so herself. Old fashioned salt brine fermentation produces a film on top and it is completely normal. Skim it off when the 14 days are up and proceed with confidence.

The alum is not optional. It is what creates that signature crunch that Gram’s crystal pickles were famous for. You can find pickling alum at most grocery stores in the canning section.

The green food coloring is optional but it is what makes them crystal pickles. Without it they will still taste exactly right. With it they will look exactly like what you remember from Gram’s pantry shelf.

Track your batches. The Sourdough Baking Journal — Blue Bread Notes from our Quiet Nook has become our whole farmstead kitchen journal. Write down what you did, what day you did it, and what you want to remember for next time. These homemade pickles from scratch deserve notes.

And for something delicious to serve alongside your finished crystal pickles — Momma Missy’s Smoked Bacon Cheddar Chive Dip Mix makes one of the best dips we have ever put beside a pickle tray. Bold, smoky, creamy, and completely irresistible. 🌿

For trusted canning safety guidance the National Center for Home Food Preservation is where we go first and last every single season.

7. Your Table Challenge This Week

This week your Table Challenge has two parts.

If you have the time and the patience, start the brine for Gram’s crystal pickles. Get your cucumbers. Make the brine. Weight them down. Walk away for 14 days and trust the homemade pickles from scratch process.

And if the crystal pickles feel like too much right now, make one jar of refrigerator dill pickles instead. Tonight. With whatever cucumbers you can find.

Then while you are making them think about the kitchen that taught you something. The grandmother or the aunt or the neighbor or the mother whose hands you watched and whose recipes you carry even when you do not realize you are carrying them.

Say thank you for those hands. Out loud or in your heart.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”
Philippians 1:3 KJV

Every remembrance. Every recipe card. Every kitchen that smelled like something worth coming back to.

Thank God for every single one. 🙏

8. Follow the Harvest and Preservation Series

This post is part of our ongoing Harvest and Preservation series on Farmstead Chronicles running all summer long. Here is where we have been:

• ✅ Canning for Beginners. 7 Essential Steps to Start Today
• ✅ From Garden to Jar. 5 Faithful Lessons This Summer — Part 1 of 4
• ✅ Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe. 2 Faithful Ways to Make It
• ✅ Freezing Vegetables From the Garden. 7 Proven Tips That Work — Part 2 of 4
• ✅ Homemade Salsa for Canning. 5 Steps to Your First Jar
• ✅ 5 Proven Ways to Stock Your Pantry With Enough to Share — Part 3 of 4
• ✅ How to Freeze Green Beans. 6 Simple Steps That Really Work
• ✅ Farmstead Table Memories. 5 Beautiful Gifts of a Harvest Season — Series Finale Part 4 of 4
• ⬅️ Homemade Pickles From Scratch — you are here

Follow the full Farmstead Chronicles series here — we publish every Tuesday and Friday all summer long. 🌾

9. Coming Up Next Week Around the Farmstead

📖 Tuesday August 4
How to Dehydrate Herbs and Vegetables at Home. Simple Farmstead Method
One of the oldest and most underrated preservation methods in a farmstead kitchen — this post walks you through drying herbs and vegetables simply and effectively so nothing from your summer garden goes to waste.

🌾 Friday August 7
Laid Up in Store. What a Full Pantry Shelf Taught Me About Trust. Part 1 of 4
A brand new four-part series begins this Friday and it goes somewhere deeper than techniques and tips. This one is about the faith behind a stocked shelf and what it means to lay up in store for the season ahead.

Follow Farmstead Chronicles here so you never miss a post. 🌿

10. Find Your Quiet Nook

If this kind of real everyday farmstead kitchen work feeds your soul the Quiet Nook was built for you.

The Bread and Blessings Personalized Christian Kitchen Journal is a beautiful hardcover journal for the woman who finds sacred rhythm in her home and kitchen. Perfect for recording the recipes, the people, the seasons, and the faith that makes a kitchen feel like the heart of a home. This one is especially right for the woman who is writing down her grandmother’s recipes so they do not get lost. Personalized with your name and designed to become a keepsake your family will treasure for generations. 💛

Explore the full Quiet Nook collection here 🌿

11. Join Grace Notes Every Sunday

Every Sunday at 2pm a personal letter goes out from Promised Land Ranch straight to your inbox — real stories, deep scripture, farmstead wisdom, and the kind of encouragement that meets you in whatever season you are actually in.

It is free. It is faithful. And it goes out every single Sunday without fail.

Sign up for Grace Notes right here — we would love to have you at our table. 💛

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