Kirby cucumbers, the pickling ones, are in full season so I thought I'd try my hand at homemade pickles. They are twice 'dill-ed' with both dill seed and fresh dill, and packed with a mild vinegar-garlic-pepper brine. Perfect for snacking out of the jar or sliced on your favorite sandwich. These take a week in the fridge, but if you want faster pickles, slice them before they go in the jar. I found that the fridge was far superior to processing the jars in a hot bath. The pickles were brighter and crisper.
Kirby cucumbers, the pickling ones, are in full season so I thought I'd try my hand at homemade pickles. They are twice 'dill-ed' with both dill seed and fresh dill, and packed with a mild vinegar-garlic-pepper brine. Perfect for snacking out of the jar or sliced on your favorite sandwich. These take a week in the fridge, but if you want faster pickles, slice them before they go in the jar. I found that the fridge was far superior to processing the jars in a hot bath. The pickles were brighter and crisper.
Information
Servings: 1 pickle (makes about 30 whole pickles)
Time: About 15 minutes active; 30 minutes total (plus one week to brine)
Price: About $10.00 total; $0.33 per pickle
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 10.3
Protein: 0.42g
Fat: 0g
Saturated fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 2.6g
Fiber: 0.46
Sodium: 466.4mg
Cholesterol: 0mg
High In:
Good Source:
Low In:
Ingredients
2 cups white vinegar
2 Tbsp pickling salt (or another salt with no additives)
2 Tbsp dill seed
1 Tbsp peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 lb Kirby pickles
6 garlic cloves, smashed
6 fresh dill sprigs
1 Tbsp dried hot peppers
3 quart size canning jars
Preparation
In a large pot, heat 2 cups water with vinegar, salt, dill seed, peppercorns, mustard seeds and fennel seeds over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes then remove from the heat.
Meanwhile in each clean jar, place 8-10 cucumbers, 2 garlic cloves, 2 dill sprigs and 1 tsp dried hot peppers. Pour brine over top leaving 1". Refrigerate at least one week before serving.
How long will these keep?