Sweet pickles use sugar and warm spices, while dill pickles rely on garlic, dill, and salt. Both start with a vinegar-based brine—but the flavor profile, spice blend, and even storage method can differ quite a bit.
Sweet vs. Dill Pickles
If you’re new to pickling or trying to choose between sweet or dill for your next batch, here’s a breakdown of how they’re made, what ingredients you’ll need, and a few tricks I’ve learned over 50+ years of canning.
Both sweet and dill pickles start with the same core ingredients:
- Vinegar – Usually white or apple cider vinegar. Stick with 5% acidity (check the label).
- Water – Often added to balance the acidity.
- Salt – Pickling or canning salt preferred for clean, sediment-free brine.
👉 For safety and balance, always follow tested vinegar-to-water ratios. Learn more here: What Is the Vinegar to Water Ratio for Pickling?
🍬 Sweet Pickles
Sweet pickles have a tangy-sweet taste and are often flavored with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, or allspice. They’re ideal for sandwiches, snacking, or gift jars.
Key Ingredients:
- Sugar – Lots of it! Some recipes use up to 3 cups per quart of vinegar.
- Pickling spices – Often include cloves, cinnamon, mustard seed, and celery seed.
- Onion slices or bell peppers – Common add-ins for extra flavor.
Method Highlights:
- Some recipes, like Mrs. Wages Lime Pickles, start with a soak in pickling lime for extra crispness.
- After rinsing, cucumbers are soaked in the sweetened vinegar and spice brine and then processed in a water bath canner.
Anne’s Tip: Let sweet pickles sit for a few weeks after canning—they need time for the flavors to mellow and sweeten.
🌿 Dill Pickles
Dill pickles are sour, garlicky, and herbal—perfect with burgers or straight out of the jar.
Key Ingredients:
- Dill seed or fresh dill heads – The defining ingredient.
- Garlic cloves – Optional but classic.
- Mustard seed, peppercorns, and bay leaf – Popular for added complexity.
Method Highlights:
- Cucumbers are packed tightly in jars with dill and garlic.
- The brine (no sugar!) is poured hot over the vegetables.
- You can either can them or keep them in the fridge for quicker, crisper results.
For a full overview of your options, see: Water Bath Canning vs. Refrigerator Pickles: Which Is Better?
Anne’s Tip: Use pickling cucumbers (not regular slicing cucumbers) for best results—they hold their crunch better.
🧂 Spice Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Sweet Pickles | Dill Pickles |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetener | Yes – sugar, sometimes honey | None |
| Core Spice | Cinnamon, clove, allspice, mustard | Dill seed, garlic, mustard seed |
| Taste | Tangy, warm, sweet | Sour, herbal, garlicky |
| Canning Method | Often canned | Canned or refrigerated |
| Great With | Chicken salad, sandwiches, gift jars | Burgers, tuna salad, snacks |
💬 Final Thoughts from Anne
There’s no rule that says you have to pick one or the other—I’ve always got a few jars of both on hand. Sweet pickles are a family favorite at holidays, while dill pickles disappear fast after I make burgers or BBQ. Once you know the difference, you’ll know when to use each—and you may just find a new favorite.
If you’re ready to branch out with your flavoring, I’ve got a guide for that too: Pickling Spices 101: Build Your Own Brine
👉 For a complete beginner-friendly guide, check out How to Pickle Just About Anything (Safely and Deliciously).
Anne James—lovingly known as Jelly Grandma—is a professional canner, seasoned home cook, and lifelong preserver of traditional Southern skills. With over 55 years of hands-on experience in canning, gardening, cooking, and quilting, Anne brings generations of wisdom to every guide she writes.
Featured in both local media and by national brands like Hershey, Anne now shares her knowledge through PreservingSweetness.com and her YouTube channel, helping others rediscover the “old ways” of living well and making things from scratch.