Last week while tooling around the inter-webs boasting about the peach butter we made (you gotta try it!), we had an S&D reader ask us for a simple and delicious recipe for dill cucumber pickles. To us, there’s nothing better than eating food made by nature and preparing and preserving with our hands. It’s what love tastes like!
This recipe is for hot water-bath processing (canning)
Recipe:
12-14 Medium Size Fresh Cucumbers (8 inches long)
note: If using store bought cucumbers, wash aggressively to remove the wax coating as this will inhibit the pickling process.
4 Cups White Vinegar (5% Acidity)
3 tbsp White Wine Vinegar (optional)
4 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Canning/Pickling Salt
2 tbsp Chopped Garlic
Dill Seeds
Mustard Seeds
Pickle Crisp-(optional-adds extra crispness/acts as preservative-follow directions on package for usage)
1 Fresh Sprig each Dill, Tarragon, Thyme
Directions:
Combine all ingredients above except for cucumbers in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
Thoroughly wash all cucumbers removing flowers, stems, & dirt
Slice cucumbers into discs for hamburger chips, or lengthwise for sandwich spears
Remove Fresh herbs (Dill, Tarragon, Thyme) from boiling vinegar mixture
Pack cucumbers into scalded jars
To each packed jar add 1/4 tsp dill seeds and 1/8 tsp mustard seeds (and pickle crisp, if desired)
Ladle hot liquid including garlic into packed jars leaving 1/2 inch head space
Wipe rim of jar and assemble two piece cap and ring and process in a hot water bath canner for 15 minutes.
Let cool on counter. Store in a cool dark cabinet or basement for a minimum of 24 hours before consuming. Once introduced to the cold refrigerator the pickles will crisp to nice and enjoyable crunch that will make you come back for more season after season.
Do you have a pickle recipe that you love to use? Are you new to pickling and canning in general? Share your stories or leave a question as we can all walk away learning something.
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