Dill pickles, also known simply as pickles, are fairly easy to make and a staple food in many cuisines around the world. Dill pickles were historically popular in areas where cold winters prevented the residents from obtaining fresh vegetables after summer. Cucumbers are the most popular type of vegetable used to make pickles, but others are used depending on local availability.

Dill pickles are eaten alone, as a snack, or used in sandwiches and hamburgers, or as an add-on to salads or hot meals. Different cultures pickle different vegetables. In East Asia, people pickle turnips and radish, while mushrooms and eggplant pickles are popular in Russia. Pickled onions are popular in England, and bell peppers are a typical pickled dish in Romania.

Dill pickles are basically made by fermenting the vegetable in a mix of water and salt, or, alternative, in vinegar. Both mixes produce a slightly different product that will stay edible for a long period of time. Because the mix has a pH of 4.6 or less, bacteria cannot survive, thus ensuring a long life for the dill pickles. Different add-ons produce different results, including changes in color and consistency. There are several tricks used by cooks to make sure dill pickles turn out as they expected, including adding grape leaves to the containers to preserve crunchiness.

Mixes to prepare dill pickles are now available for sale in most supermarkets, and are designed to make the pickling process easier. Simmering the mix in water and then adding the pickles once the mix is back to room temperature is all you need to make dill pickles. Pickle mixes are available in a variety of flavors, including sweet, hot, extra sour, Kosher dill, etc. If you want to make dill pickles, you will need some type of dill to add to the mix. These can take the form of fresh dill, dry herbs, or dill seed. Not matter what type of mix you use, once the dill pickles have been canned in the liquid, the whole jar should be boiled in water for 5-10 minutes. At that point, the pickles are ready to store.