Pickle tutorial. Step-by-step dill pickles (With Pics)

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Here you go!! A step-by-step pickle picture story.


Dill Pickles!!!

And these are the best! Use any vegetable. In these pictures I have used cucumbers, okra, and carrots.

Step 1 Wash up. Wash the jars, bands, lids, graspers, and funnel. Then, put everything in the canner (except the lids. They get put in a small bowl of boiling water 10 minutes before you need them) and cover with water. Cover with the canner lid and bring to a boil. Keep them hot until you're ready to use them. You'll need 7or 8 quart sized jars or 14-16 pint jars. I used regular mouth jars, but I suggest widemouth jars.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff024.jpg[/img][img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff025.jpg[/img]

Cut your veggies up! Everything that you will need. Peel the garlic (I smash em hard with the side of my knife), cut your hot peppers in half (or quarter them for more heat) cut the carrots in cubes. Prep ALL your veggies. If you are using zucchini, you'll need to remove the seeds. You can cut your veggies any size or way you want them. Spears, chunks, slices, ruffles, however you want them. These are your pickles.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff023.jpg[/img]

Carefully pull the jars out of the canner. They should still be VERY hot. Fill the bottoms of 7 sterile quart sized jars with the following: (If you use pint jars, you'll need to use half of the quantities in each jar)

1 head of fresh dill with some stems(make sure you check them for bugs!)
1 garlic clove per jar(use 2 if they are small, use more if you like garlic)
1/2 tsp of peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed
1 hot pepper, halved if you want. Ripened red ones look GREAT!
1/4 of a carrot cubed (for crispness)(I sometimes use more cause I LOVE em)
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff030.jpg[/img]

On top of that pack your veggies tightly in the jars up to the neck. They will shrink after they cook and cool, so you need to pack them in the jars very tightly, but don't crush them.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff026-1.jpg[/img][img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff028.jpg[/img][img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff029.jpg[/img]

Bring the next ingredients to a rolling boil and pour over the veggies to cover, up to the neck of the jar. Need 1/2" headspace.

8 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup kosher salt(need to use canning or kosher salt to get a CLEAR brine)
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff031.jpg[/img][img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff033-1.jpg[/img]

Remove air bubbles with a plastic utensil. Then readust head space to 1/2 inch with more brine.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff034-1.jpg[/img]

WIPE THE RIMS!
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff036-1.jpg[/img]

Place lids and bands and tighten to fingertip tight.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff037-1.jpg[/img][img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff038.jpg[/img]

Using grippers, place jars in boiling water canner. Ensure that they are completely covered with boiling water.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff039-1.jpg[/img][img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff040.jpg[/img]

Bring the water in the canner back to boiling. Process both pints and quarts for 15 minutes. Find something to occupy your time
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff041.jpg[/img]

After the timer goes off, turn off the heat and uncover the canner. Leave for 5 minutes, then remove them onto a towel to cool to room temp.

The next day, remove the bands and check for a good seal.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff042-1.jpg[/img]

Then wipe the jars, and store them. I like to use the original box the jars came in because it keeps them from falling over or crashing down to the floor.
[img]https://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/LindsayArthurRTR/gardenandhousestuff044.jpg[/img]

The pickles are ready in a few weeks. (well...I can never wait for more than a few days.) The longer they sit, the spicier they get. They are not HOT, hot pickles but they have a little back heat. especially after 3-4 months

[gumbo2176]

Wow, great job. I like the pics you took to clarify things. I do lots of pickling with okra, green beans, peppers, cucs, and one of my favorites is a medley of carrots, cauliflower, celery and onions. I tend to make them all a bit spicy by adding some hot peppers like you did. I too, like that little bite on the back end. I'll leave it to my jalapeno's and Belgian hot peppers to give me the bite from the first chew.

[krzyk4]

That is an awesome pictorial!! I have a question ... when you smash the garlic, does yours turn green/blue? It happened to me on another batch I did with a different recipe ... just curious cause I'm new at this

thanks,

karen

[Ozark Lady]

Great pictorial, to teach us how to make pickles.

I had heard of putting grape leaves, or even alum into jars to help veggies stay crisp, I had no idea that carrots would do it.

So, what would you compare the taste to? I think the procedure would be the same for regular dills or for kosher dills, just the spices would vary.

Based on the garlic addition, I am guessing that these are kosher dills?

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Gumbo, thanks! I think that the jalapenos are perfect for this recipe! They give great flavor in addition to mild to moderate heat depending on how much you use. There is not a better pickle than an okra pickle

Karen, thanks! I just smash it enough to get the skins off. It has stayed nice and pearly white since June! No blue in sight

OL, Thanks! The recipe came from my elderly neighbor. It just says "Dill Pickles" on the card she gave me. I honestly don't know the difference between kosher and not kosher I would say that they taste very close to Vlassic pickles. I like the way the garlic tastes, but it can be omitted from the recipe. In the finished product, it doesn't read "garlic" just pleasantly seasoned.

I want to enter some of these in the local fair when it happens. She ( the neighbor) really knew what she was doing when she started making these pickles...she got several blue ribbons from the state fair. The folks that I've shared them with are begging for more of them. The remainder of the jars left are for us at home and Christmas gift baskets I hope y'all enjoy them as much as I have

[Ozark Lady]

Usually at the store: regular dill pickles are whole or sliced for hamburgers.

Then they have these long spears, I called them kosher, but maybe they should be bread and butter pickles? I don't know the terminology, but they are flavored different from regular dills.

But one pickle is sweet, another is dill, and the bread and butter are usually somewhere in between with garlic added.

I like sweet or dill, not the in between one.

I am not a connisseur of pickles, not sure that I even know the right terms to describe them.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Bread and butter pickles are sweet, too. These don't have any sweetness to them. Just good, balanced dill flavor

[GardenRN]

wow that was really great! I'll definitely be back to look this up come summer time! I didn't realize you could pickle so many veggies until this past fall when someone brought pickled green beans in to work. Awesome! It was so good it was like getting a raise! lol. Can't wait to do my own. And this little tutorial gives a lot of confidence that it's not as hard as people make it out to be. Especially since I already have the stuff from canning all of my tomato sauce and salsa.