when life gives you cucumbers.. make dill pickles!
I must admit, I could not believe how easy it was to make homemade pickles. I realized this only after I made them for myself. Not only can you control what you put into your pickles, you also get the satisfaction of saying “Yes, I made these!”
Ingredients needed for homemade dill pickles
- Pickling cucumbers
- dill seed
- mustard seed
- Fresh garlic cloves
- fresh dill
- water
- vinegar
- pickling salt
- sugar
Equipment needed
- Clean and sanitized mason jars with lids
- large stock pot or canning pot with rack
- Jar lifter
- 2 cup measuring cup
- small pairing knife
Steps for making pickles
STERILIZE MASON JARS First and foremost, you will need to sterilize your jars before beginning canning anything. if you are unfamiliar with sterilizing click here.
PREPARE CUCUMBERS. Wash the cucumbers and cut off the blossom end (or both ends) to ensure your pickles stay crunchy. There is an enzyme that is released on the blossom end that will cause the pickles to go soft. for best results, don’t skip this part.
MAKE THE BRINE. In a large pot, add the vinegar, water, pickling salt, and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
ADD CUCUMBERS AND SPICES TO MASON JARS. while your waiting for your brine to boil, add pickling cucumbers, mustard seed, dill seed, garlic cloves, and fresh dill to each clean and sanitized mason jar
ADD THE BRINE. Fill each jar with brine, leaving 1/4” head space. Wipe the jar rims clean. Add the sealing disks and screw bands tightening it finger tight.
WATER BATH. Bring a large canning pot with the canning rack at the bottom of water to a boil. Make sure you add enough water so most of the jar is in water. (The jar will still seal properly if the entire jar isn’t submerged). Add your jars, and Boil for a minimum of 10 minutes. you may need to boil longer depending on your altitude. (see chart below) When the processing time is up, turn off the heat. Let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove the jars from the boiling water with the jar lifter. Place jars on a solid heat resistant surface to cool completely. As the jars cool you will hear a pinging sound as the lids flex and seal. This is normal.
Water-bath altitude adjustments
At altitudes of 1,000 ft. it requires 10 full minutes of boiling time for safe preserving. At altitudes higher than 1,000 ft. increase processing times as indicated in the below chart.
| Altitude in Feet | Increase Processing time |
| 1,001 – 6,000 | 10 Minutes |
| 6,001 – 8,000 | 15 Minutes |
| 8,001 – 10,000 | 20 Minutes |
How do I know if my jars sealed properly?
As the jars cool you will hear a pinging sound as the lids flex and seal. This sound is normal and tells you that the jar has sealed. Let the pickles sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours. After the cooling period, test whether the jars have sealed correctly by pressing down on the lids. if they sealed; they will feel solid when you press on them. if the lid flexes, the Jar has not sealed.
What if my jar doesn’t seal properly?
There is no need to worry if one of your jars don’t seal properly. Simply put it in the fridge and consume within 7 days after opening.
How long do pickles last?
Provided your jars sealed properly, you are good to store them UNOPENED in the pantry for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.
Homemade Dill Pickles
Time 1.5 hr
| Yield 4 1L jars
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of Pickling cucumbers
- 4 tsp dill seed
- 2 tsp mustard seed
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs of fresh dill
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 4 Tbsp pickling salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Directions:
- Clean and sterilize 4- 1 liter mason jars.
- Wash and rinse the cucumbers. Trim off the ends of the cucumbers
- To each jar, add: 1 tsp dill seeds, ½ tsp mustard seeds, 1 clove garlic, 1 sprig of dill. Divide the prepared cucumbers between the jars, packing them as tightly as possible.
- In a medium size pot, combine 4 cups of water, 3 cups white vinegar, 4 tbsp pickling salt and 2 tbsp sugar. Bring to a boil until the sugar and salt dissolves.
- Pour hot mixture into prepared jars, leaving just 1/4″ of head space (to the top). Wipe the jar rims clean. Add the sealing disks and screw bands tightening it finger tight
- Prepare a large stock pot, fitted with a rack on the bottom, and fill with water. Bring water to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the jars. Set your timer to the appropriate time depending on your altitude. Make sure it is at least 10 minutes. (see chart above)
- Using the jar lifter, carefully remove the jars from the boiling water and set aside on a cooling rack.
- Let the pickles sit for at least 12 hours, before pushing down on the lid to test if it’s sealed. If for some reason, the lid did not seal, place pickles in the fridge and enjoy within 7 days. If sealed, the pickles are shelf stable and can be enjoyed within 1 year (make sure you refrigerate after opening).
I hope you enjoyed these homemade dill pickles and enjoy making this recipe for years to come. If you’ve tried this recipe, we would love for you to write a review below! Thank you
Prairie Sweets & Eats 