Dill Pickles...2 ways

The top ones are dills with garlic the bottom re the plain ole dills

 Ok so through most of my pickling days I have used tried and true the Ball Blue Book Guide to preserving and The Complete book of Pickling. I have tweaked the recipes of course to taste . I have to tell you I think that is the most fun when you get more confident with your canning is the experimenting.

Here in this post I am going to give you the one of the original recipes the one from the Ball Book straight from the book plus my tweaked one..I know that it is a lot but this way you can look at both of them and try what you are most comfortable with...Note to self I will highlight that my good ole' Blue Ribbon winner in another post...lol...

I salt my pickles and let them sit on ice for at least one hour

Nice and clean

Burrrrr but crisp

You can almost always get four good cuts out of your cucks

 The Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving


Dill Pickle Recipe

This will make 7 pints or 3 quarts
8 pds of 4-6" cucumbers (cut lengthwise)
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of canning salt
1 quart of vinegar
1 quart of water
3 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
Green or dry dill (1 head per jar)


Wash cucumbers,drain. Combine sugar,salt,vinegar and water into a large sauce pot. tie pickling spices in a spice bag then add the bag to the vinegar  mixture, simmer for 15 minutes.
Pack cucumbers into sterile jars, leaving 1/4 " head space, put one spring of dill per jar. Ladle hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/4" head space. remove air bubbles. Adjust two piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Now that is the Ball method I know I could have just linked you up but it seems easier if you can stay in one place and read it all .

Alright see the jalapenos that  is one way I tweaked my Kosher Blue Ribbon dills and I also added two garlic cloves to each jar. Keep in mind my jars are quart so there is a bit more dill and lots of peppers. You put in what you are comfortable with...Keep in mind when they sit which you will want each jar to do they get more potent. My pickles sit for at least 6 weeks before we open them.

My tweaked Silly Dilly recipe ....

Pickling salts to coat the cucumbers when they are on ice. I usually so this in a clean sink because I do pickle as many as I can in one session.
This recipe I used pint's and you will get 7 pints approximately...

Ingredients
8 pds of 4-6" cucumbers (cut lengthwise)
3/4 cup of sugar
2 quart of white distilled vinegar
2 quart of water
3 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
Green or dry dill (1 to 2 sprig per jar)
2 cloves of garlic per jar (1 for pint)
Fresh jalapeno chopped (1 tsp)
or a few dried Los Arblos chili's

Ok after you have let your cucks sit on ice with a nice coat of salt rinse them really good and start to cut them for the jar's.Do you see in my picture I have some jars with spears and some with chunks ..I like a variety of shapes and the ones with the chopped have equal amounts of garlic cloves...and that is yet another pickle tweak Garlic and Dill chunks....

Here is a great tip I got off of Simple Bites Pickle recipe ... "Grape leaves or alum are sometimes added to a pickle jar to enhance the crunchiness of the pickles." Now I need to go back to the Grape ladies house to get leaves....i knew when i was picking the grapes the other day my mind said...Hey Lani there is something you can use the leaves for what what????

Combine sugar,salt,vinegar and water into a large sauce pot. I just add the pickling spices into the vinegar  mixture, simmer for 15 minutes. The reason I add the spices is honestly because i think it just looks better when there is stuff in the jar......I have looked at many a jar of pickles in the store and home brewed and it is really a personal preference....you do what makes you feel good...

I pack my jars tight so first thing is to add you garlic, dill and jalapenos to the jars . I have put a picture for you to see.  Alright once all the jars are filled put your spears in I pack my jars tight. Once you have them all assembled leaving 1/4 " head space....now ladle hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/4" head space. remove air bubbles. Adjust two piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

These pickles have just enough bite and for some reason the hot does not stay on your pallet...enjoy