These mouthwatering Garlic Dill Pickles are a welcome addition to your sandwiches and burgers. Best of all, you can preserve them for months!
This year I taught myself how to can food! I have been obsessively canning everything that comes out of my garden which has been absolutely thrilling. I didn’t grow up around much food preservation and the preserving that I did see happening would not fly by today’s safe canning practices.
My entire canning journey has been building up the moment when my garden would be producing enough cucumbers for me to pickle.
Pickles? They’re so easy!
Yes, you are correct. Of all the things to can, pickles are probably the simplest. But every year my mom would put up a few jars worth of homemade dill pickles. You can ask anything, they were hands down the best pickles you would ever eat.
They were so dilled, garlicked and salted that your mouth would begin to water if you even came in close proximity to a jar of her pickles. And those are the only types of pickles worth eating, my friend!
How to Pick the Best Cucumbers for Dill Pickles
The best cucumbers are on the smaller side. This is what help your pickles maintain their crunchiness. You can still use larger ones if that is what is available to your but you will notice that over time they will begin to get a bit mushy. You might just want to eat those jars quicker!
What You Need to Make Super Dill Pickles
- Small Pickling Cucumbers
- Vinegar
- Water
- Salt
- Dill
- Garlic
- Mustard Seeds
How to Make and Can Your Pickles
Gather your clean mason jars, bands and lids and place them in a large pot or in a water bath canner. Fill the pot with water so that the jars are completely submerged in the water.
Place the canner on a stovetop and begin to heat the jars over medium to high heat.
While the jars are boiling, prepare your other ingredients. Slice your cucumbers spear style, peel and cut the garlic and gather as much dill as you prefer. Optional: If you like a little bit of spice to your pickles, slice a few jalapenos to place in each jar.
Create a brine by boiling water, vinegar and salt in a small sauce pot until the salt has completely dissolved.
Once the jars have heated, remove them from your canner and begin to tightly pack the dill, garlic, mustard and cucumbers into each jar. Ladle the brine into each jar until the cucumbers are covered, leading 1″ headspace in the jar.
When each jar is packed, wipe the rims of each jar with vinegar or hot water to remove any debris that could prevent the seals from forming.
Center the lids on each jar and place the bands down. Screw the bands on until they are met with resistance and then tighten to fingetip tight.
Place the jars back in your canner on a canning rack. Adjust the water level to cover the jars by 1 to 2″.
Bring the jars to a boil. Once they have reached a rolling boil, set a timer for 10 minutes and allow the jars the process. When 10 minutes have passed, turn the heat off and let the jars rest for 5 minutes before removing them from the canner.
Let the jars rest on your countertop for 12 to 24 hours before removing the bands and storing.
Your pickles will be ready to enjoy in 3-6 weeks. Always remember to inspect your jars and food before consuming. Do not consume and home canned food that has a funny smell, broken seal or doesn’t seem the way it should.
Garlic Dill Pickles and How to Preserve Them
Learn how to make and preserve the most flavourful dill pickles.
Ingredients
- 5lbs small to medium pickling cucmbers
- 4 cups vinegar
- 1/3 salt
- 1 cup water
- 12 cloves garlic
- 2 cups fresh dill, lightly packed
- 6 tsp dried mustard seeds
Instructions
- Clean all jars, bands and lids with soapy water, rinse well and allow to dry.
- Fill a waterbath canner or large stock pot with water. Submerge the jars, lids and bands in the water and bring up to temperature on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
- While the jars are being brought up to temperature, prepare the other ingredients by cleaning and slicing the cucumbers, and peeling the garlic.
- Create the pickling brine by bringing water, vinegar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir to allow all the salt to dissolve.
- Remove the jars and lids from the canner.
- Begin to pack each jar with the dill and garlic, evenly distributed between each jar, 1 tsp of mustard seeds and cucumber spears.
- Ladle hot brine into each jar, covering the spears but leaving 1" of headspace in each jar.
- Wipe the brim of each jar with hot water or vinegar to remove any debris from the brim that could prevent the seals from forming properly.
- Center the lids on the jars and place the bands down. Tightening until resistance is met and then adjusting to fingertip tight.
- Place each jar back into the canner.
- Adjust the water level until the jars are submerged by 1" to 2".
- Bring the jars to a boil. When the jars have reaches a rolling boil, set a timmer for 10 minutes and allow them to process (stay at the rolling boil).
- When the timer is up, turn off heat. Allow the jars to rest in canner for 5 minutes before removing from the canner.
- Set your jars on the countertop and allow them to rest, untouched, for 12 to 24 hours before removing the bands, labeling and placing into storage.
- Your pickles will need 3 to 6 weeks before they are ready to consume.
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