Garlic Dill Pickle Slices

So Dill Pickles in my house do not last very long. I do many different types of Dill Pickles but they all use the same basic recipe. For example today I made Dill Pickle Chips, by this I mean I cut them in slices and we use them on our hamburgers or sandwiches. So far I have only seven bottles made that will not be enough to make it past the end of September and we have to wait at least two weeks before we can even eat them.

Before you get all crazy, I know that the following is a lot to read.  But and this is a big but in all actuality these take about 45 minutes to make from start to finish.  I just wanted to give you enough information to help you along the way.  Some of this information has been taken from another site, I just could not say it any better than she did.  I really wish I could remember which site I got this from.  I actually originally down loaded this for a friend to try to explain how to make dill pickles and how easy it is, but all the writing scared her away.  Actually I brought her here and showed her how to do it and she said that's it, your kidding.  I said nope it really that easy.

Pickles can be as quick and easy as pouring hot brine over cold cucumbers in jars and processing in a water bath. The methods of making pickles, the varieties of pickles, and the recipes for making them would fill several cookbooks, so I am not going to try for all-inclusive here. I’ll walk you through a basic dill pickle recipe, then you can experiment and find the recipe that will be cherished and handed down in your family with your name attached to it. Imagine having your great-grandchildren bugging their mother for Nana Kim’s Garlic Dills recipe! (Well, that only works if your name is Kim, so try imagining it with your name inserted.)

Select only ripe, firm, unblemished pickling cucumbers of the appropriate size for your recipe. Mushy cucumbers will not magically become crispy when brined. Pickling cucumbers have a thinner skin than regular cucumbers, so they are best used within 2 days of harvest.

Use pickling or canning salt which is pure salt without additives. Table salt has anti-caking agents and iodine which will make your brine cloudy.  Don’t modify the amount of salt, sugar, vinegar, or water in a recipe. They work together to produce a safe pH level for the pickles and a good flavour balance.

The jars need to be hot when you fill them. You can run clean jars though a sanitizing cycle in the dishwasher, or fill them with hot water and put them in a pot of hot water over low heat. I like to use the canning pot as a hot water bath.

Most pickles need to mature at least a week for the best flavor. Label the finished jars with the date they were made and the date they’ll be ready to eat.

Grape leaves or alum are sometimes added to a pickle jar to enhance the crunchiness of the pickles.

1- Scrub the cucumbers gently under running water to remove dirt and prickly bits. Trim off 1/8-inch (3 mm) from each end and prick all over with a fork.  This is not necessary if you are cutting the pickles up into slices or if you are using cut pickles.

2- Wash jars thoroughly in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Fill the jars with hot water and place them in the canning pot. Fill the canning pot with hot water, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm).

3- Cover the pot and bring the water almost to a boil over medium-high heat (30 to 60 minutes). When the water is almost boiling, reduce the heat to keep it at a simmer and keep the pot covered until you’re ready to use the jars.

4- In a small saucepan, bring 2 inches (5 cm) of water to a simmer. Add the lid disks, cover the saucepan, and take it off the heat.

5- Working in batches, with a colander, rinse and drain the cucumbers. Rinse again and drain well. Set aside.

6- In a pot combine the salt, water, and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often until salt is dissolved. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and keep liquid hot. Keep covered to prevent evaporation when you’re not using the liquid.

7- Use the jar lifter to lift a jar out of the simmering water. Pour the hot water out into the sink and put the jar on a towel on the counter. Place 1 grape leaf (if using), 6 pieces of garlic, 4 to 5 peppercorns and 1 dill head into the jar. Pack cucumbers into the jar, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace, and top with 6 pieces of garlic and 1 dill head.

8- Place the canning funnel over the jar and using a ladle, pour hot pickling liquid into the jar, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary by adding hot pickling liquid. Wipe the rim with a clean cloth or paper towel dipped in warm water. Using the silicone tongs, remove a lid disk from the saucepan of hot water and place it on the jar. Screw on a band until it’s fingertip-tight.

9- Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining jars and ingredients.

10- Place the jars in the canner and return to a boil. Process for 15 minutes (start timing after the water has reached boiling). Turn off heat and remove the lid from the canning pot. Let the jars stand in the hot water for 5 minutes. Then use the canning tongs to transfer the jars to a clean towel on the counter and let them stand for 24 hours. You should start to hear the happy pinging of lids sealing as they cool. Any jars that do not seal should be refrigerated. Once the jars are cooled, label them with the name of the recipe, the date made, and the date they’ll be ready.  You do not have to put Garlic in your dill pickles we just really like garlic here.

Dill Pickle Slices

2 cups of white vinegar
2 cups of water (tap water is fine)
2 tablespoons of salt (pickling or kosher — not iodized table salt)
4 heads of fresh dill, or 4 tsp of dill seeds
4 cloves of garlic
8 to 10 cucumbers