This is a fine pickle.
Of all of the foods that incorporate dill, pickles are probably the most famous. Kids love pickles. And as much as they love eating them, they’ll love making them. Trust me, some of my fondest memories as a kid involve “putting up” pickles and other veggies with my mother in summer.
There are a number of “jobs” that go into making the pickles - use caution when delegating to children since the jars can get really hot. Kids can count out garlic cloves, peppercorns and dill sprigs. They can wash cucumbers and, if old enough, wash out the canning jars prior to use. Mom used to let me label the pickles when they cooled, which was a great job.
Enjoy your pickles.
Dill Pickles
4 lbs of pickling cucumbers (use pickling cucumbers between 3 and 4 inches long, not regular ones and not coated with wax)
10-15 cloves garlic
1/4 c. pickling or canning salt (uniodized)
3 c. water
2-1/4 c. vinegar (white or cider vinegar, at least 5% acidity)
fresh sprigs of dill
black peppercorns
Wash and halve cucumbers.
Combine garlic, salt, water and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to boil, stirring occasionally until salt is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Using a strainer, fill brine into warmed pickling jars (use proper canning jars with no cracks or chips - Mom used Ball or Mason jars). Pack cucumbers into jars, exercising care. Add a few sprigs of dill and a few fresh peppercorns to each jar. Top up with the remaining brine, leaving about a half an inch from the top. Cover with canning lids and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
If you’re in a hurry, try my mom’s “instant pickle” recipe:
Fill a ceramic bowl with apple cider vinegar to just over half full. Add slices of cucumbers to the vinegar. Season with salt, pepper or other herbs (like dill!) to taste. Voila! Instant pickles! Terrific for summer. They’re wonderfully quick and refreshing.
dill, pickles, cucumbers, preserves
My StumbleUpon Page
Leave a Reply