From garden to pickle, these homemade burger chips will elevate your backyard barbecue game.

At the height of summer when you have your beautiful vegetable gardens coming to harvest. Why shouldn’t you utilize them to create your own delicious pickles, perfect for all those hamburgers you’ll be making on the grill. Really, there’s nothing more satisfying than biting into a juicy homemade burger accompanied by a wonderfully crunchy homemade pickle. It’s bliss between a bun.

Quick Pickle Burger Chips

1 lb. fresh cucumbers

2 sprigs fresh herbs dill

2 tsp whole black peppercorns

2 tsp celery seeds

1 large bay leaves 

2 cloves of garlic, whole smashed 

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Prepare one wide-mouth quart mason jar by washing the jar, lid, and ring in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set aside to dry, or dry completely by hand.

Fill a large bowl or pot a quarter of the way with ice and then fill it up halfway with cold water, set aside.

Prepare the cucumbers by washing with cool water and laying out on a kitchen towel to dry slightly. Cut the cucumbers into rounds about ¼ inch thick and place the cucumber coins into your bowl of ice water, set aside. The ice water helps to firm up the cucumber slices so they retain some of their crunch. 

Add the whole spices, garlic and dill into your prepared quart jar. 

Add the cucumber slices to the jar, making sure to pack them in tightly but not too tightly so you don’t smash the cucumbers. 

Make the brine by placing the vinegar, water and salt in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt. Pour the brine over the cucumbers, filling the jar to within ½  inch from the top. The cucumbers should be completely submerged in brine. You might not use all the brine, it depends on the size of the cucumbers and how you packed them in the jar. That’s ok though it’s better to have too much than not enough! You might need the little bit extra to top off the jar. 

Remove the air bubbles by gently tapping the jar against the counter a few times to force the air bubbles to the surface. Top off with more brine if necessary, it is very important that the cucumbers are completely submerged in brine. 

Place the lid and ring on the jar sealing it. Cool the jar on the counter for 20 minutes before placing the jar in the fridge. It’s important for the jar to cool a bit before putting it in the cold fridge so your jar doesn’t crack. If it’s still a little warm it’s ok, it just can’t be a boiling hot jar.

Let your pickles sit in the fridge for at least an hour or two before enjoying. I even sometimes prefer to leave them a whole day because the vinegar becomes more perfumed with the herbs and spices, leaving you a more flavorful pickle.

Enjoy your fresh pickles on juicy burgers or savory sandwiches or even straight out of the jar, do it we won’t judge!