Crunchy Dill Pickle Recipe
My family famous recipe for crunchy dill pickles. Makes about 7 quart jars of pickles. Please let them rest in a cool dry place for 2 months before trying.
Recommended Products
quart jars
rings and lids/flats
canning crock
jar lifter and funnel
pairing knife
large pot
wash cloth
small bowl
Ingredients
- 20+ small to medium sized cucumbers amount depends on size and how many fit in a jar
- 14 heads dill
- 1/2 onion cut into strips
- 14 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 3/4 tsp alum
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups canning salt
Instructions
Preparing Materias
- If using your own cucumbers, pick them from the garden in the morning. If using store bought cucumbers, proceed to step 2
- Place cucumbers in an ice water bath in the fridge for about 5 hours. This will make them crunchy.
- 3 hours before pickling, place the 7 quart jars in the dishwasher and run a quick cleaning cycle so they are cleaned and hot.
Filling the Jars
- Once cucumbers are done in the water bath, make the brine by bringing vinegar, water, and salt to a boil in a large pot. Keep covered. While waiting for it to boil, proceed to the next steps.
- Pour enough water into a canning crock to that would be enough to cover the jars (about 2/3 full), and turn the burner on to get it hot and close to boiling. Due to there being a large amount of water to heat, this could take time.
- Wash off the cucumbers with cold water. Cut them into spears. Get the jars out of the dishwasher, and add 1 head of dill and 1 clove of crushed garlic per quart jar, then add onion spread equally between each jar. Turn jars horizontal and stuff with cucumbers. Turning the jar horizontal creates more room. Pack the cucumbers the best you can to take up as much space as possible. Make sure that there is more than 1/2 inch of space left from the top of the jar. Add 1 more dill head, 1 clove of crushed garlic, and 1/4 tsp of alum to the top of every jar. Chop up any extra cucumber slices into small chunks and place 1 on top so the dill does not get too close to the lid. There still should be space by the lip of the jar.
- In a small bowl, place 7 flats. Pour enough hot water to cover them. This step helps them seal.
- When brine is boiling, pour it evenly into each of the jars filled with cucumbers ensuring all the cucumbers are covered with brine. The jars should still be hot from the dishwasher. If they are not hot enough, you can run hot water over them to heat them up so they do not break due to the shock of the hot brine.
Seal Jars
- After jars are filled with brine, wipe off rims with a dry wash cloth. This will help them stay sealed. Wipe flats from the hot water soak.
- Place flat and ring on the jars. Make sure the ring is sealed on tightly by screwing on until it meets resistance and another 1/4 turn after that.
- Place all of the jars in the warm water in the crock by using tongs. If you have a jar holder, place in jar holder, then dump jar holder into the water. Bring this water to a full boil. Boil for 15 minutes, then shut off burner. Let jars cool there overnight.
Storing
- In the morning, take the jars out of the water and wipe them off with a dry cloth. At this point check to make sure the jars are sealed. If they are not sealed, give them another 12 hours. If they are still not sealed, then put them in the fridge for 2 months until ready to eat. If they are sealed, store at room temperature..
All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. Nutritional facts listed are a rough estimate and should only be followed as a general idea.
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