Grandma Jones didn’t make dill pickles, so it wasn’t until I married into Jeff’s family that I finally got a dill pickle recipe from Grandma Adams. Unfortunately all I could find in her recipe box was the ingredient list so I had to resort to one of her cookbooks to create the instructions.
These delicious crisp garlic-y dill pickles are easy to make. You only need a couple of ingredients and an hour or so to put up these pickles. They are ready to eat the same day, will last for years and your friends and family will be so impressed.
25 – 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
1 head fresh garlic
10 heads dill just past flowering, but before the seeds are formed
1 cup pickling salt
3 quarts water
1 quart cider vinegar
5 quart jars with canning lids and screw bands
5 small hot peppers like jalapeno (optional)
- Select Cucumbers
Choose 25 – four inch pickling cucumbers. It is important to use pickling cucumbers over eating cucumbers because they have a lower water content. The fresher the cucumber the more crisp the pickle. - Sterilize
Sterilize your jars, lids and screw bands. This can be done by running them through a hot dishwasher or washing them by hand and then pouring boiling water over and inside the jars. Keep the jars and lids ready near by upside down on a clean towel. - Wash
Wash the cucumbers and cut off the blossom end (the other end of the stem). Sometimes the blossom end is bitter and this stops your pickles from being bitter too. Cut each cucumber into four or five spears. - Make the Brine
In a large pot on the stove, combine the salt, water and vinegar; bring to a boil. - Prepare the Jars
Fill each quart jar with 2-5 cloves of garlic, 1-2 heads of dill, and a hot pepper. Stuff the jars with cucumber spears. Leave at least a half inch between the spears and the rim of the jar. - Add the Brine
Take the brine off the boil and use a ladel to spoon it into each jar. Fill each jar to with in a quarter inch of the top of the jar. - Close the Jars
Put the lid and screw band on to the jars. The jars are really hot so just a hot pad or towel when handling them. - Seal the Jars
At this point you can let the jars cool and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them or you can can them. If you wish to use them as refrigerator pickles wait a week before opening them. - Can the Pickles
To can the pickles, prepare your canner. By adding hot water and brining the water to a boil. There should be enough water to cover the tops of the jars by at least a half inch. Process the pickles in boiling water for 20 minutes. Start timing from when the pickles are put into the bath. - Cool the Pickles
Remove the pickles from the hot water bath and place them upside down on a towel to cool. Once cool, check to make sure the lids sealed. You should not be able to press down on the lid. If a jar isn’t sealed put it in the refridgator and eat those first.
