Dill Pickles
Who doesn’t have dill pickles in their fridge? It’s a Canadian staple…isn’t it? Why not make your own? Canning dill pickles is one of the easiest processes to master and a great way to start your canning journey. Use cucumbers that are no longer than 5 inches with a diameter of no more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches. I have two slightly different methods (with different pickling seasoning) detailed below.
Dill Pickles
Makes 3-4x 500ml or 2 litre jars
Method 1:
Ingredients
4 lbs. small cucumbers
1 to 2 garlic cloves per quart jar
2 heads of dill with 3 to 4 inches of the stem intact per quart jar
2 teaspoons mustard seed per quart jar
Brine
2 cups water (soft water works best for crispy pickles)
1 cup white vinegar
3 tbsp. coarse picking salt
Directions
Pickles:
For dill pickles, I use slightly larger cucumbers than I use for the gherkins. If using quite large cucumbers, slice in quarters down the length.
Clean the cucumbers with water and a scrub brush. Cut off any stems or blossom ends.
Place water in boiling water canner. Heat to a simmer. Place 5 clean, warm mason jars on a rack in the canner, ensuring that they are covered with water. Place SNAP LIDS® in warm water. Keep both jars and lids warm until ready to use.
Place the heads of dill, garlic cloves and mustard seed in hot sterilized quart jar.
Fill with whole, small cucumbers to within 1 inch of top.
Brine:
Combine the water, vinegar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Pour the brine over the cucumbers to within ¼ inch of top of jar. Wipe jar rims clean.
Place clean, hot lids and screw bands on jars and process in boiling water for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude*. Ensure the jars are covered with at least 1 inch of water. Start the timer once the water comes to a complete full rolling boil. Once time is up, turn off heat. Wait 5 minutes and remove lid, always tilting away from your face. Remove jars with a jar lifter, without tilting, to a protected countertop.
Cool upright for 24 hours. After cool, check that the jars are sealed. Sealed jar lids curve downward. Clean, dry and label with contents and date. Store in a cool, dark place
Allow the pickles to stand for 4 to 6 weeks for best flavour.
Method 2:
Ingredients
3 ½ lbs pickling cucumbers
Brine: BERNARDIN Dill Pickle Mix
2 cups water
1 cup vinegar (5% acidity)
¼ cup Dill Pickle Mix
Directions
Prepare cucumbers as above.
Combine water, vinegar and Dill Pickle Mix in a medium saucepan. Heat to boiling.
Place water in boiling water canner. Heat to a simmer. Place clean, warm mason jars on a rack in the canner, ensuring that they are covered with water. Place SNAP LIDS® in warm water. Keep both jars and lids warm until ready to use.
Pack cucumbers in hot, sterilized jars as per method one. Pour brine over the cucumbers to within ¼ inch of top of jar.
Place bands and new lids on jars. Tighten to finger-tip tight. Place in hot water in canner. Cover with water at least an inch above the lids. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude*. Start the timer once the water comes to a complete full rolling boil. Once time is up, turn off heat. Wait 5 minutes and remove lid, always tilting away from your face. Remove jars with a jar lifter, without tilting, to a protected countertop.
Cool upright for 24 hours. After cool, check that the jars are sealed. Sealed jar lids curve downward. Clean, dry and label with contents and date. Store in a cool, dark place
Let the pickles stand for 4 to 6 weeks for the best flavour. I recently purchased a 130 year old linen cupboard. I am now starting to fill it with preserves.
*Altitude adjustment for boiling water method
Altitude in feet Increase processing time by
1001 to 3000 5 minutes
3001 to 6000 10 minutes
6001 to 8000 15 minutes
8001 to 10000 20 minutes
