Classic Garlic Dill Pickles Food

CLASSIC GARLIC DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash and scrub lightly with a soft brush.
• Cut a thin slice from blossom ends to help prevent softening.
• Cut wide cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and long cucumbers so they fit in jars.
• Place in ice water bath while preparing everything else or up to 8 hours.
• Fill large pot or canner with water so that jars will be covered by 1" of water.
• Check jars for cracks, wash with warm soapy water, rinse well and place in canner.
• Heat jars in canner (no need to sterilize as final processing will be longer than 10 minutes).
• In medium size pot, combine vinegar, water and pickling salt. Bring to boil and simmer five minutes until salt is dissolved.
• Remove hot jars from canner.
• Place 2 dill heads, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp peppercorns and 1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes into each pint jar (double if using quart jars).
• Tightly pack cucumbers into jars to within 3/4 inch of rim.
• Add hot vinegar brine to cover cucumbers. Use a plastic utensil to remove any air bubbles and add more brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
• Wipe rim with clean cloth and seal with hot sealing lid. Screw band on top and tighten finger tight.
• Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars or 15 minutes for quart (1 L) jars.
• Makes 4 pint (500 mL) jars or 2 quart (1 L) jars
• Processing time from National Center for Home Food Preservation. Remember to adjust cooking times if you're at altitudes higher than 1000 ft (306 m) above sea level.

GRANDMA'S DILL PICKLE RECIPE

Steps:

• Sterilize your preserving jars with either boiling water or by placing them in an oven at 130°C/265°F for thirty minutes. Whatever your method of sterilization, allow the jars to cool before packing them with your ingredients. While they're cooling, take your jar's lids and place them in bowl of boiling hot water. Leave them there until you need to fit them onto the jars.
• Wash your gherkins and start packing them into your jars. If they're small, pop them in whole but if medium to large cut them into slices. This helps to get more into the jar and also for easier serving once the jar is opened. For each quart of pickles you'll add half a teaspoon of black peppercorns, two whole garlic cloves and plenty of dill.
• Make the brine: for approximately every four quarts of tightly packed gherkins you'll need to bring two quarts of water and one quart of white vinegar to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of salt and stir until dissolved. Let this cool until just warm and then pour it into each of the jars, filling to a centimeter (just less than 1/2") below the top of the jar's brim.
• Clean the tops of the jars then fit on your preserving lids and screw the rings on. Most every preserving recipe will tell you to not over-tighten the rings but in my experience I've found that it's best to twist them on fully but not super tight. If they're too loose then the contents of your jars can leak out in the water bath.
• Place a metal preserving rack or towel at the bottom of a deep preserving pan and then place the jars inside. The jars should be at least an inch apart and the pan needs to be deep enough to have the jars inside with over an inch of water comfortably covering the tops.
• Cover the jars with warm/hot water from the tap then bring the pan to a boil. Boil the jars for fifteen minutes then lift them out of the water. If you're using a towel at the bottom of the pan then you'll need a 'jar lifter' tool available at many kitchen shops. Set the jars on the counter and allow to cool. You'll know that the jars are properly sealed when you hear the lids popping.
• Allow the pickles to infuse with the brine for at least two weeks before eating them. Stored in jars in a cool pantry your pickles will last up to a year, though I doubt you'll be able to let them sit there that long.

REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Bring the vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, place the peppercorns, red pepper flakes, dill and garlic in a 1-quart Mason (or other glass) jar. Pack the cucumbers in the jar as tightly as possible.
• Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers so the cucumbers are completely submerged. Leave uncovered and allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day before using. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

OLD-FASHIONED GARLIC DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Place five garlic clove halves and five dill heads in each of three hot 1-quart jars. Pack cucumbers into jars to within 1/2 in. of the top., In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar, salt and pepper flakes to a boil. Carefully ladle hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add remaining five garlic clove halves to each jar. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

CLASSIC DILL PICKLES (REFRIGERATOR)

Steps:

• Trim the ends of the cucumbers.
• Quarter each cucmber lengthwise.
• In a large non-reactive bowl toss cucumber spears with 2 tablespoons of the kosher salt.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Rinse the cucumbers several times and pat dry.
• In a small saucepan, add water and vingear and one tablespoon of salt.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add dill, garlic, peppercorns, celery seeds and mustard seeds to a clean 1-quart jar.
• Pack container with cucumber spears.
• Pour hot brine into container.
• Let pickles cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Cover and refrigerate for one day to develop flavor.
• The pickles shoud keep for about a month. But mine never last that long. The pickles start out crunchy, but after time soften.