Candied Dill Pickles
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
These crunchy candied dill pickles are so easy to make and are delightfully pickled in a tart, savory, and sweet combination of white vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice.
I dearly love getting to hear the stories and memories of your childhood. Knowing how much recipes are a part of our heritage, when you share one of your treasured recipes with me I take it to heart and consider it a great honor to receive such a gift. Today’s recipe is from Julie Hutson, and it is one she shares by way of her dear grandmother.
She said the smell and taste of this easy candied pickles recipe instantly transports her to her childhood and I totally understand that feeling, don’t you? Her Nanny would make a fresh batch as soon as the pickle jar was almost empty (a woman after my own heart).
I hope you enjoy this candied dill pickle recipe as much as I do! We pickle our dill pickles in a simple combination of white vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice. It’s quick and easy to make, we just have to be patient and let them sit in the pickling liquid for up to 5 days. We all know patience isn’t my strong suit, but these candied dills are worth the wait, I promise you!
They’re tart, sweet, crunchy, and just plain old delicious! Like bread and butter pickles without being too sweet. If you like this recipe, check out my sweet pickle recipe too. Now, I’ve included some serving ideas below, but let me tell you, they pair so well with so many Southern main dishes. Alright, let’s make some homemade candied dill pickles!
Recipe Ingredients
- Whole dill pickles
- Granulated sugar
- White vinegar
- Pickling spice
How to Make Candied Dill Pickles
Drain pickles into a large bowl, reserving about half a cup of pickle juice (save for later).
Slice whole pickles into slices (I prefer thick slices rather than thin slices).
Place sliced pickles back into the large bowl.
Cover the pickle slices with sugar.
Give that a good stir.
Then pour the reserved pickle juice…
And half a cup of vinegar over the pickles.
Stir thoroughly.
Allow pickles to sit in liquid at room temperature for several hours, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.
Place the heaping tablespoon of pickling spice into the center of the cheesecloth square. Tie up corners or secure it with a piece of string.
Drop the pickling spice bundle into the pickle jar.
Return the pickles and juices back into the jar as well.
Secure the lid and place it in the refrigerator.
Pickles need to “sit” for about four days, but turn the jar upside down every so often to mix the juices.
After 4 to 5 days, your candied dill pickles are ready to enjoy!
You can discard the pickling spices at this time.
Grab a bowl and find out below how I love to serve them.
Storage
Store your candied dill pickle jar in the fridge for up to a month. But I don’t think they’re gonna last that long!
Recipe FAQs
What’s the best vinegar for pickling?
Any type of vinegar, like white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and rice vinegar all work well in pickles.
Why do you use sugar in pickling?
Sugar helps balance out the tartness of the vinegar. If you were to omit the sugar, you’ll find the vinegar makes most pickles too sour.
How do you serve candied dill pickles?
Here are some serving suggestions:
- I love to serve them as a side dish with salty Southern fried catfish or Southern fried chicken.
- They’re also a great side dish with barbecue meat, like beef brisket and pulled pork. Add some coleslaw and you’ve got yourself a winning main dish!
- Use the pickle slices in place of relish on potato salad, a chicken salad sandwich, or a tuna salad.
- They also taste great as a topping on sandwiches and burgers, like my pork burgers and meatloaf burgers.
I tell you, a candied pickle jar is as much a staple in my kitchen as the mayo and butter!
You may also like these other recipes:
Ingredients
- 1 46-ounce jar whole dill pickles
- 3 cups sugar
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 heaping tablespoon pickling spice
Instructions
- Drain off the pickles into a large bowl, reserving about half a cup of pickle juice (save for later). Slice whole pickles into slices (I prefer thick slices rather than thin slices).1 46-ounce jar whole dill pickles
- Cover the pickle slices with sugar and stir. Then pour the reserved pickle juice and half a cup of vinegar over the pickles. Stir thoroughly. Allow pickles to sit at room temperature for several hours, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.3 cups sugar, ½ cup white vinegar
- Place the heaping tablespoon of pickling spice into the center of the cheesecloth square. Tie up corners or secure it with a piece of string.1 heaping tablespoon pickling spice
- Drop the pickling spice bundle into the pickle jar and return the pickles and juices back into the jar as well. Secure the lid and place it in the refrigerator. Pickles need to “sit” for about four days, but turn the jar upside down every so often to mix the juices.
- After 4-5 days the pickles are ready to enjoy!
I found a smile today. Every time I tried to give it away, someone would give it right back to me!
Submitted by Donna. Click here to submit your quote.
I have been a follower of Julie’s website for some time now and have made several of her recipes multiple times. The end result is always a treat and I always get compliments on “my” cooking. Thanks for featuring another great cook! The stories felt almost like my own!
Hey everyone! Love~love~love the recipes and stories! This site is awesome and adds to my day. I was wondering if there is something you can use in place of the cheesecloth for the spices?
Thanks to all for the great older recipes.
Cristie……you are a card and make me smile!
You are gonna laugh, but my Nanny used clean panty-hose cut into squares instead of cheese cloth!
Well you just gave me an idea to use new knee highs. Wouldn’t even have to cut in squares, just fill the toe of the stocking and tie it off.
That makes perfect sense to me! LOL
How about a coffee filter? Can’t find my cheese cloth!
I love the pantyhose tip. You can also use an old fashioned tea-baller (the kind used to hold loose tea leaves).
We use the plain little natural wedding treat bags…they have a draw string that ties nicely and are washable. I am anxious to try this recipe! Thanks Julie
I like that ideal to Shannan! I have one of those and I use it maybe once in the winter.Oh I also love the wedding treat bag ideal too!
I make these, too. I use sliced dill pickles, usually just a small jar at a time. After pouring off the vinegar, I add the pickles back to the jar a few at a time — a layer of pickles, a layer of sugar until jar is full. I shake well and place in fridge where I can see the pickles easily to give a good shake for the next two or three days. These remind me of the “sweet dill strips” that could be bought when I was growing up but can no longer be found in stores.
Thanks Christy!!
I’m going to try it with a couple of red chilis thrown in. For me it has to be sweet/spicy! yum!! Looks like an awesome recipe!
I make sweet pickles similiar to this using the dill pickle chips. They are so good and so EASY to make! Purchase a gallon of the dill pickle chips which I usually find at Costco or Sam’s Club, drain off the juice the best way possible and I do this by turning the gallon of pickles upside down into a colander which can be a little tricky. Leave it for approx. 30 minutes until the juice has drained out of the gallon jar, then flip the jar right side up (again, a little tricky) and add a 4 lb. bag of sugar to the jar of pickles, shaking the jar and even inserting a large, wooden spoon into jar to distribute the sugar. Once sugar is added, put lid on jar, then roll the jar on counter, shake it, etc. to distribute sugar which you will need to do periodically for a day or two to dissolve the sugar. I do not add any vinegar because there is still enough juice in the pickles to dissolve sugar. I store the gal. of pickles in my pantry, adding them to a small jar as needed which I keep in my refrigerator. These pickles remind me of the 14 day pickles that my grandmother made, sweet and crunchy, and can be used in potato salad, chicken salad, or just eat them right out of the jar! Delicious and EASY!
love your recipe will try
i make these with a jar of hamburger dill chips. Just drain the pickles, put pickles in plastic container and add sugar (takes a good bit sugar, but I have never measured it), shake often and keep in refrigerator.
Carolyn, that is what I did. The recipe was in our church cookbook. I didn’t drain my dill chips enough. I have a new jar to do again.(I’m going to drain and rinse before adding sugar) But I added enough sugar to fill the jar. I shook it to get it all through the pickles. I turned it over every day until it was all melted for several days. I loved them. I grew up making 7 day, 14 day, alum pickles and bread & butter pickles, These are much less trouble and may be even a little bit better.