How To Can Dill Pickles

How To Can Dill Pickles – my all time favorite pickle recipe. This makes the most delicious crispy dill pickles we’ve ever had!

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I am a pickle addict.

I will eat a whole quart of pickles a day if you let me. And then drink the juice. I know, I know, that is not what normal people do. But I’m far from normal. And I’m proud of it.

You think I’m a pickle hog in normal life? Try me when I’m pregnant! I can out-pickle-eat anyone around!

So this canning season it was a really high priority for me to can a lot of pickles. I canned my first two batches, and then since I had been pickle-deprived since I ran out of last year’s, I ate them all in a couple weeks. So then I had to make a few more batches – those should last me a little while. I’m trying really hard to have self-control.

Dill Pickles

I’ve found that about 8lbs of cukes makes 6 quarts of pickles.

Brine:

• 1 1/2 quarts white vinegar
• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 1/2 cup salt (a high quality sea salt, not iodized table salt)

Ingredients per jar:

• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp mustard seed
• 3 – 4 heads fresh dill
• 1 fresh grape leaf

Instructions:

Clean all your cukes and cut each end off (especially the blossom because that will make your pickles soggy if it gets left in). Slice all the larger ones in half long-ways – make them whatever size you like eating the best.

Make your brine and keep it hot while you follow the next steps.

Put all your ingredients into their separate clean mason jars – garlic, mustard seed, fresh dill and a fresh grape leaf. The grape leaves aren’t a typical dill pickle ingredient, but they make your pickles extra crisp! Then pack the cukes tightly into the jars. Pickle packing is an art.

Ladle your hot brine into the jars, wipe the rims off and adjust your two piece lids. Lower them into the already hot canner and water bath can pints or quarts for 15 minutes.

Now, they’re done! It’s best to wait a couple weeks at least before you dig in so that they have time to absorb all those wonderful vinegary garlicky tastes. But as you can imagine, I don’t always do that.

Enjoy!