Description
These Homemade Garlic Dill Pickles are a classic, crisp, and tangy treat made from fresh pickling cucumbers, aromatic garlic, and flavorful dill heads, preserved in a perfectly balanced brine of vinegar, water, salt, and pickling spices. Perfect for canning and enjoying over several weeks, these pickles bring a refreshing crunch and a burst of savory flavor to sandwiches, snacks, and salads.
Ingredients
Scale
Pickles and Flavorings
- 5 lbs pickling cucumbers
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 5 heads flowering fresh dill
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pickling spices
Brine
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 cup pickling salt (or sea salt)
Instructions
- Prepare Hot Water Bath Canner: Fill a hot water bath canner with water and bring it to a boil, ensuring you have a canning rack inside for the jars.
- Prepare Cucumbers: Scrub and trim the pickling cucumbers, then leave them submerged in a sink filled with cold water until you are ready to pack the jars to keep them crisp.
- Clean Jars and Lids: Wash and inspect six pint jars and their lids for any chips, rust, or dents. Prepare one extra jar in case of breakage.
- Warm Jars: Place jars upside down in a large cake pan with an inch or two of water. Heat them in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes to warm and sterilize, then keep warm until use.
- Heat Lids and Rings: Place lids and lid rings in a pot, cover with water, and heat until just boiling to soften the sealing compound.
- Boil Water for Brine: Bring a kettle of water to a boil for topping up the canner, if needed.
- Prepare Brine: In a medium pot, combine water, vinegar, and pickling salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt fully dissolves, to make your pickling brine.
- Prep Garlic and Dill: Peel and halve the garlic cloves and ensure the dill heads are clean and ready to use.
- Fill Jars: Remove jars one at a time from the oven, add one garlic half and one flowering dill head to each jar.
- Pack Cucumbers: Arrange cucumbers tightly into each pint jar until no more can fit, maximizing the amount you can preserve.
- Add Remaining Flavors and Spices: Insert the remaining garlic halves into the jars, add 1/2 teaspoon of pickling spices to each, then pour hot brine over the cucumbers leaving a 1 cm (about 1/3 inch) headspace.
- Seal Jars: Quickly cover each jar with a hot lid and screw on the sealing ring just until snug, but not overly tight.
- Place in Canning Rack: Place jars into the canning rack and prepare to process in the canner.
- Adjust Water Level: Ensure the water level in the canner covers the jars by at least one inch. Add boiling water from the kettle or remove excess water as needed.
- Process Jars: Process the jars in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes at sea level or 20 minutes if above 3000 feet altitude, continuously boiling to safely preserve the pickles.
- Cool and Check Seals: Remove jars and let them sit undisturbed on the counter overnight. Check seals; lids should be depressed in the center indicating a proper seal. Refrigerate any jars that did not seal properly.
- Store and Wait: Allow the pickles to sit in the brine for several weeks to develop flavor before enjoying.
Notes
- Make sure all jars, lids, and utensils are properly sterilized to prevent spoilage.
- Use pickling cucumbers for best texture and flavor – slicing or regular cucumbers won’t hold up as well.
- Adjust processing time based on your altitude to ensure safe preservation.
- Keep cucumbers submerged in cold water before packing to maintain crispness.
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place and refrigerate after opening.
- If lids do not seal, the pickles should be refrigerated and consumed within a reasonable timeframe.
- For extra spicy pickles, add some dried chili flakes or sliced hot peppers to the jars.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pickling
- Method: Baking, Boiling (Water Bath Canning)
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: garlic dill pickles, homemade pickles, canned pickles, pickling cucumbers, fermented vegetables, preserving cucumbers
