Ah, I digress. So, for the inaugural foodie Santa's Workshop, I decided to try my hand at pickling. I was fortunate to secure a few of my grandparents' canning supplies, which was pretty cool. Too bad I couldn't find their dill pickles recipe. Regardless, this recipe was fabulous! Easy, not too briny, not too much dill. I consider my first foray into picking a success! Now, even though the 13 steps look complicated, it wasn't that difficult.
Adapted from: http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/blue-ribbon-dill-pickles-241139
Labels obtained here: http://www.myownlabels.com/
Ingredients
7 wide-mouth quart jars, lids & rings
(wide mouth jars are much easier to pack)
fresh dill, heads & several inches of stems
cucumbers, washed, scrubbed (request in bulk from farmers market)
1 garlic clove (or more, duh!)
2 1/4 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt
2 - Wash 7 quart jars in hot, soapy water (or dishwasher), rinse and fill with hot water; set aside.
3 - Fill canning kettle half-full with hottest tap water; set on burner over high heat.
4 - In a medium saucepan, fit lids and rings together, cover with water, bring to a simmer.
5 - In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; turn off the heat; set aside.
6 - FILL JARS: place a layer of dill at the bottom of each jar, along with one garlic clove (if used), then TIGHTLY load the cukes into the jar to the NECK of the jar (depending on size you may get two nice layers with a few small cukes in the top--)---squeeze cukes into the jar tightly--uniform size helps; add a few TINY spriglets of dill at the top, too, and another garlic clove if desired.
7 - Once jars are loaded, pour in the brine leaving half-inch head space in each jar.
8 - Add lid and ring to each jar, tightening evenly (but not too tight).
9 - Place jars into canner with water JUST to the necks of the jars.
10 - Bring water ALMOST to a boil (about 15 minutes--depending on how fast it heats up).
11 - Remove jars, set on a dish towel on the kitchen counter, cover with another dish towel & let cool.
12 - Check for seal (indented lid), label jars or lids, store in cool dark cellar or cupboard.
13 - NOTES: When washing/scrubbing cukes, sort them into piles by size. This really helps make your jars look nicer and makes for easier packing, too.
fresh dill, heads & several inches of stems
cucumbers, washed, scrubbed (request in bulk from farmers market)
1 garlic clove (or more, duh!)
Brine
8 1/2 cups water2 1/4 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt
Directions:
1 - GET ALL OF THIS GOING BEFORE FILLING THE JARS.2 - Wash 7 quart jars in hot, soapy water (or dishwasher), rinse and fill with hot water; set aside.
3 - Fill canning kettle half-full with hottest tap water; set on burner over high heat.
4 - In a medium saucepan, fit lids and rings together, cover with water, bring to a simmer.
5 - In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; turn off the heat; set aside.
6 - FILL JARS: place a layer of dill at the bottom of each jar, along with one garlic clove (if used), then TIGHTLY load the cukes into the jar to the NECK of the jar (depending on size you may get two nice layers with a few small cukes in the top--)---squeeze cukes into the jar tightly--uniform size helps; add a few TINY spriglets of dill at the top, too, and another garlic clove if desired.
7 - Once jars are loaded, pour in the brine leaving half-inch head space in each jar.
8 - Add lid and ring to each jar, tightening evenly (but not too tight).
9 - Place jars into canner with water JUST to the necks of the jars.
10 - Bring water ALMOST to a boil (about 15 minutes--depending on how fast it heats up).
11 - Remove jars, set on a dish towel on the kitchen counter, cover with another dish towel & let cool.
12 - Check for seal (indented lid), label jars or lids, store in cool dark cellar or cupboard.
13 - NOTES: When washing/scrubbing cukes, sort them into piles by size. This really helps make your jars look nicer and makes for easier packing, too.
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