How to Make the Best Crunchy Dill Pickles?

Name: How to Make the Best Crunchy Dill Pickles?
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 24 pickling cucumbers; 10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed; 2 large bunches of fresh dill; 8 tsp mustard seeds; 8 tsp black peppercorns; 8 cups water; 8 cups white vinegar; 8 tbsp sea salt or pickling salt

by Living Large in A Small House

10 pints

1 hr 10 min

Are you wondering how to make the best crunchy dill pickle? I have the best recipe for homemade pickles and it’s easy if this is your first time making dill pickles.

Do you have an abundance of cucumbers like me and want to know how to make a crunchy crispy dill pickle? There is nothing like homemade dill pickles!

how to make the best crunchy dill pickles

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The goal for homemade pickles is to not have mushy pickles but crunchy pickles.

You know it’s right when it has a pickle crisp bite.

What Kind of Vinegar Do You Use for Pickles?

White vinegar is the best, in my opinion.

You can find canning recipes with apple cider vinegar but I think white vinegar gives it the proper flavor and it also keeps the cucumber the beautiful shade of green they were meant to be.

Prepping the Cucumbers

Wash the whole cucumbers and make sure to cut off the blossom end of the cucumber.

Leaving it on can give you a mushy pickle.

Then you will want to cut your cucumbers into spears or chips.

I cut my smaller pickle cucumbers or Kirby cucumbers into spears and cut my regular cucumbers into chips.

Water Bath Canning vs Pressure Canning

I learned how to can and preserve with a water bath canner. The one I own would definitely be considered vintage. It’s quite old but it still works.

Using the pressure canner is my preference but for crunchy dill pickles, you need to use the water bath canner. The pressure canner would turn the cucumbers into mush.

Tools you’ll need

Home Food Preservation

Making your own pickles is a great way to use your excess cucumbers and jars of pickles that you made sure beat anything you can buy from the grocery store.

I have dill in my garden but my cucumbers were behind my dill so I did have to go to the farmers market to get fresh dill but the garlic came from my own garden.

Extra Treat

You don’t typically see me but I shared a little video just for my blog followers!

Peace,

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How to Make the Best Crunchy Dill Pickles?

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Recipe details

Yield 10 pints
Time spent: Prep time: 1 Hours Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 1 hr 10 min

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Per serving

% Daily value

Instructions

Preparing Jars

Wash jars in the dishwasher and then preheat the oven to 200°. Place the jars on a cookie sheet and heat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. While jars are heating in the oven put the lids and rings in a small saucepan, cover them with water and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and leave lids and rings in water until you want to use them

Prepare the Whole Cucumbers

Wash the cucumbers and then trim the tops and bottoms, cut into spears or chips

Prepare the Pickling Brine

Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stirring to make sure that the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool down while you are preparing pint jars.

Putting the Jar of Pickles Together

Put a large chunk of dill in the bottom of the jar, then a garlic clove, 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds, and 1/2 tsp of black peppercorns. If you're using quart jars double the ingredients.
Cover the cucumbers with the brine mixture, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
Put a lid and canner ring on the jars.

Refrigerator Pickles

At this point, you can put your pickle jars into the refrigerator and let them sit for at least 24 hours. They will only get tastier the longer they sit. The best flavor is about 5-6 days.
The pickles will be good for 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator

Canning Process

Fill the water canner 3/4 full with water, and add 1/4 cup vinegar to the water to help prevent lime film. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
Load the jars into the canner basket. Carefully lower the canner basket into the boiling water. I use high-heat plastic gloves to protect my hands.
The jars need to be completely covered if they aren't add more water and bring it back to a boil then let boil for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes carefully lift the basket out of the canner with the heat gloves and place it on a wooden cutting board.
Once the jars have cooled and the lid has been sealed. If the top dimples up and down with a slight push, it hasn't sealed. You can change the lid and reprocess.
I take the rings off, wash the jars, and store them in a cool to room temperature, dry place (my pantry) after 24 hours on the counter.

Comments

Hibiscus on Sep 14, 2022

I can't find sugar in your ingredient list, but it is written in your procedure. Do you add sugar?

20 Reply
- Lenora Wadsworth on Sep 19, 2023
  CRUNCHY DILL PICKLE RECIPE
  COURSE: CONDIMENTSCUISINE: AMERICANKEYWORD: DILL PICKLE, DILL PICKLE CHIPS, DILL PICKLE SPEARS, HOMEMADE DILL PICKLES, PRESERVING CUCUMBERS, REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLE, USE CUCUMBERS, WATER BATH CANNING PREP TIME: 1
  HOUR
  HOURCOOK TIME: 10
  MINUTES
  MINUTESCOOL TIME: 1
  DAY
  DAYTOTAL TIME: 1
  DAY
  DAY 1
  HOUR
  HOUR 10
  MINUTES
  MINUTES SERVINGS: 10 PINTS CALORIES:EQUIPMENT
  water bath canner
  pint jars with lids
  sharp knife
  Large Measuring Cup
  measuring spoons
  INGREDIENTS
  24 pickling cucumbers
  10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  2 large bunches of fresh dill
  8 tsp mustard seeds
  8 tsp black peppercorns
  8 cups water
  8 cups white vinegar
  1 tsp sugar You can use more but I don't like my pickles at all sweet. (the purpose of the sugar is to cut the acid taste of the vinegar)
  8 tbsp sea salt or pickling salt
  INSTRUCTIONS
  PREPARING JARS
  Wash jars in the dishwasher and then preheat the oven to 200°. Place the jars on a cookie sheet and heat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. While jars are heating in the oven put the lids and rings in a small saucepan, cover them with water and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and leave lids and rings in water until you want to use them
  PREPARE THE WHOLE CUCUMBERS
  Wash the cucumbers and then trim the tops and bottoms, cut into spears or chips
  PREPARE THE PICKLING BRINE
  Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stirring to make sure that the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool down while you are preparing pint jars.
  PUTTING THE JAR OF PICKLES TOGETHER
  Put a large chunk of dill in the bottom of the jar, then a garlic clove, 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds, and 1/2 tsp of black peppercorns. If you're using quart jars double the ingredients.
  Cover the cucumbers with the brine mixture, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
  Put a lid and canner ring on the jars.
  REFRIGERATOR PICKLES
  At this point, you can put your pickle jars into the refrigerator and let them sit for at least 24 hours. They will only get tastier the longer they sit. The best flavor is about 5-6 days.
  The pickles will be good for 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator
  CANNING PROCESS
  Fill the water canner 3/4 full with water, and add 1/4 cup vinegar to the water to help prevent lime film. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
  Load the jars into the canner basket. Carefully lower the canner basket into the boiling water. I use high-heat plastic gloves to protect my hands.
  The jars need to be completely covered if they aren't add more water and bring it back to a boil then let boil for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes carefully lift the basket out of the canner with the heat gloves and place it on a wooden cutting board.
  Once the jars have cooled and the lid has been sealed. If the top dimples up and down with a slight push, it hasn't sealed. You can change the lid and reprocess.
  I take the rings off, wash the jars, and store them in a cool to room temperature, dry place (my pantry) after 24 hours on the counter.
  Like
Robin Ritter Feinberg on Sep 20, 2022

I don’t see any sugar in the recipe. How much do you suggest?

1 Reply

Top stories

How to Make the Best Crunchy Dill Pickles?

How to Make the Best Crunchy Dill Pickles?

Recipe details

Ingredients

Instructions

Preparing Jars

Prepare the Whole Cucumbers

Prepare the Pickling Brine

Putting the Jar of Pickles Together

Refrigerator Pickles

Canning Process

Comments

Share your thoughts, or ask a question!

CRUNCHY DILL PICKLE RECIPE

MINUTES SERVINGS: 10 PINTS CALORIES:EQUIPMENT

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

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Top stories

How to Make the Best Crunchy Dill Pickles?

How to Make the Best Crunchy Dill Pickles?

Recipe details

Ingredients

Instructions

Preparing Jars

Prepare the Whole Cucumbers

Prepare the Pickling Brine

Putting the Jar of Pickles Together

Refrigerator Pickles

Canning Process

CRUNCHY DILL PICKLE RECIPE

MINUTES SERVINGS: 10 PINTS CALORIES:EQUIPMENT

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Popular Recipe Book

More Recipes