Homemade Dill Pickles

Canning season is almost over! I decided to honor my love for pickles by growing and canning my own cucumbers! Although it takes a long time to get a few jars, it’s definitely rewarding. I grew small pickling cucumbers so I used those, but you can choose your favourite variety.

This recipe is for two 750ml/24oz jars, but you can use 4 smaller jars if you want. I also left the cucumbers whole, but you can cut them into spears or chips.

HOW TO CAN PICKLES:

Start by washing the jars and lids and sterilise them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then you can wash the cucumbers, cut them however you like and stuff them in the jars.

The next step is preparing the pickling liquid. You can use this base with every vegetable:

• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups of white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 tbsp of salt

Just add everything to a pot over medium heat and stir until dissolved. You can then add the flavourings to the jars. I used mustard seeds, peppercorns and dill, but you can add chili, bay leaf, garlic or other spices. Pour the hot liquid over the vegetables, close the jars and set aside to cool.

You can store the pickles in the fridge and they will last for 4-6 weeks. If you want to can them, put the jars into a canner or a large pot lined with a wire rack or something similar so they don’t touch the bottom. Add water and boil for around 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and let them cool down. Store in a cool and dark place and they will last for at least a year.

You can use this same recipe to pickle onions, carrots or every other vegetable that you want!

Homemade Dill Pickles

Yield: 2 750ml/24oz jars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

The best homemade dill pickles!

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Ingredients

• 15 pickling cucumbers (depends on the size)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups of white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 tbsp of salt
• 2 tsp of mustard seeds
• 2 tsp of peppercorns (I used Tellicherry and Szechuan)
• a few sprigs of dill per jar

Instructions

1. Wash the jars and lids and sterilise in boiling water for 10 minutes.
2. Wash the cucumbers and cut the stem. I usually leave them whole, but you can cut them into chips or spears if you want.
3. Stuff as many cucumbers as you can into the jars, keeping them tight so they don't float too much when you add the liquid.
4. Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds and peppercorns and a few sprigs of dill into each jar. If you want you can also add garlic, chilli, bay leaf or other spices.
5. In a saucepan, add the water, winegar, sugar and salt. Heat and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers, close the jars and set aside to cool.
6. If you don't want to can them, store them in the fridge and they will last for 4-6 weeks.
   If you want to can them, put the jars into a canner or a large pot lined with a wire rack or something else so they don't touch the bottom of the pan. Add water and boil for around 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and let them cool down. Store in a cool and dark place and they will last at least a year.

Notes

• I used two 750ml/24oz jars (a pint and a half), but you can also use 4 smaller jars.
• You can personalise the flavourings to your liking. You can add garlic, onion, bay leaf, chilli or other spices.