Learn the art of preserving cucumbers by canning dill pickles at home with this step-by-step tutorial! I'll share 3 tips for ensuring your homemade pickles are crisp and crunchy. I'll also walk you through the steps for water bath canning so you can enjoy your crunchy, tangy pickles all year round.
Brine Recipe
(NOTE: I have updated this brine recipe reflect current food safety recommendations for a vinegar-to-water ratio of at least 3:4. I added the sugar to offset the increased vinegar)
5 1/2 cups water
4 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup pickling salt
Ingredients:
Cucumbers
Garlic cloves (optional, to taste)
Strawberry leaves (optional)
Dill, blooms and leaves
Directions:
Clean cucumbers and scrub off spines
Remove blossom end of each cucumber
Soak in an ice bath for 3-4 hrs.
Cut to desired shape/size
Combine ingredients for brine in a saucepan and heat until all sugar and salt are dissolved
Pack ingredients into wide-mouth pint jars and fill with hot brine to 1/2" headspace. Process in water bath for 15 min. Pickles are ready to eat after 2 weeks. Makes 8 pint jars.