Preserve Your Perishables

Courtesy of Marissa McClellan, Author of "Food in Jars"

Classic Dill Pickles

These pickles are as close as I’ve been able to get to the chunky dills of my childhood. They are tangy, garlicky, and a little bit spicy. If I’m able to find smaller pickling cucumbers, I will pack them into the jars whole, as they stay crisper that way. But often, the only pickle-appropriate cukes I can find are quite large, making it necessary to cut them down to get them into the jars. If you’re using sliced cucumbers, do your best to stick to the 5-minute processing time, to minimize the softening effects that the boiling water can have.

Makes 4 (1-pint/500 ml) jars

2 cups/480 ml apple cider vinegar

3 teaspoons pickling salt

8 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided  

4 teaspoons dill seed, divided

2 teaspoons black peppercorns, divided

1 (overflowing) pint/600 g pickling cucumbers, left whole or sliced into spears

Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine the vinegar, 2 cups/480 ml water, and pickling salt in a pot and bring the brine to a boil.

Add 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dill seed, and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns to each sterilized jar. Trim off the blossom end of the cucumbers and pack them firmly into the jars. You don’t want to damage the cukes, but you do want them packed tightly.

Slowly pour the hot brine over the cucumbers in each jar, leaving 1/2 inch/12 mm headspace. Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary.

Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes (see page 11).

Let these pickles cure for at least 1 week before eating.

Note: Make sure to stick with pickling cucumbers (also called Kirby cucumbers) for this recipe. Using other cucumbers will often result in a disappointing pickle, as they don’t hold their structure as well. Also, don’t skip trimming off the blossom end. It contains an enzyme that can lead to limp pickles.

How to Process

1. If you’re starting with brand-new jars, remove their lids and rings. If you’re using older jars, check the rims to make sure there are no chips or cracks.

2. Put the rack into the canning pot and put the jars on top.

3. Fill the pot (and jars) with water to cover and bring to a boil. I have found that this is the very easiest way to heat up the jars in preparation for canning because you’re going to have to heat up the canning pot anyway. Why not use that energy to heat up the jars as well?

4. Put the lids in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring them to the barest simmer on the back of the stove.

5. While the canning pot comes to a boil, prepare your product.

6. When your recipe is complete, remove the jars from the canning pot (pouring the water back into the pot as you remove the jars) and set them on a clean towel on the counter. There’s no need to invert them; the jars will be so hot that any remaining water will rapidly evaporate. Remove the lids with tongs or a magnetic lid wand and lay them out on the clean towel.

7.  Carefully fill the jars with your product. Depending on the recipe, you’ll need to leave between 1/4 and 1/2 inch/6 mm and 12 mm of headspace (that’s the room between the surface of the product and the top of the jar). Jams and jellies typically get 1/4 inch/6 mm, while thicker products and pickles get 1/2 inch/12 mm.

8. Wipe the rims of the jars and apply the lids. Place the jars in the boiling water bath for five minutes.

9. Let the pickles cure for at least one week before eating.

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