Dill Pickles – Canned

Wonderful, crisp, whole, old fashioned dills without the hassle of crocking them. The basic recipe is from my sister-in-law, Kathy. I’ve added a few ingredients. I have no idea where she got it from but it works every time!

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: varies

Prep Time: 2 hours with soak time included   Cook Time: 10 minutes after water comes to the boil  

Ingredients

Box of cucumbers (unwaxed, any uniform size that you want that will fit in your jars. My sister in law like the tiny cukes, I like them bigger!)
Whole dill seed heads or dried dill seed (the heads are prettier)
Garlic cloves – peeled;
Bay leaves (fresh or dried) if desired;
Chunks of hot red pepper, if desired.
Syrup: 1 cup white (or cider) vinegar, 1/4 cup pickling salt, 3 cups water. Heat in saucepan to dissolve salt.

Directions

Prepare canning jars and lids: pints or quarts – wide-mouth.
Wash cukes, soak in ice water for 2 hours.
Prick each cucumber as many times as possible with a fork – this allows them to pickle more evenly and prevents puckered ends.
Pack into jars as you go, adding into each jar: 2 – 3 garlic cloves, 5 dill heads (or 4 T dill seed), 1 bay leaf and a chunk of spicy red pepper.
Cover cukes with syrup, leaving 1/2″ headspace (make certain your cucumbers are beneath the 1/2″ mark in the jars as you want them covered in syrup).
Screw on lids, process in BWB 10 minutes.
Remove from canner to towel. Cool 24 hours – check for lid seal. Wait 6 to 8 weeks before eating. It helps to date “use after 00/00/00” date on each jar.

Categories: Appetizers & Snacks, Boiling Water Bath, BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff, Canning, Lactose-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Submitted by: cynthiaann on October 30, 2013