How to Make Crunchy, Sweet Pickles

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By Bryan Cass
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Make Crunchy, Sweet Pickles

I love those crunchy, sweet pickles you get in the deli aisle at the grocery store. So I decided to find a recipe and make my own this year from vegetables from my garden. Here is how I did it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Canning jars and lids
A water bath canner
Sugar
White Vinegar
Cucumbers, peppers and cauliflower
Mustard seeds
Tumeric
Celery seeds

Step 1

PREPARE CANNER AND JARS -- Even if you bought new jars, wash them in hot, soapy water first. You don't want any dust or germs hanging around in there when you put the pickles in. Then put them into the canner with the lids and fill it with hot water until the water level is just above the jars.
Step 2

PREPARE VEGETABLES -- You'll need about 8-10 fresh cucumbers, 2 onions, 1 red pepper, 1 green pepper and a small cauliflower for this recipe. Or you can remove or substitute other vegetables like beans, green tomatoes, corn, eggplant, etc. The vegetables you pickle are not as important as the solution you pickle them in. Chop the vegetables in chunks, about 1/2" wide, like the picture.
Step 3

BOIL SYRUP -- Combine 6 cups sugar, 4 cups white vinegar, 2 tsp. mustard seeds, 1 1/2 tsp. tumeric and 1 1/2 tsp. celery seeds in a large pot and heat to boiling.
Step 4

ADD VEGETABLES -- Once boiling, add all the vegetables and return to a boil. The trick to crunchy pickles is to not cook them too long, so heat it just until it boils again and then take it off the heat.
Step 5

FILL AND SEAL JARS -- Remove jars from the canner and pack the vegetables tightly into the hot jars, filling to about 1/2" from the top with the liquid. Wipe off the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel or cloth and put on the lid. Screw down the ring on each lid tightly.
Step 6

PROCESS JARS -- When all jars are full and sealed, return the jars to the canner. Return the canner to a gentle boil. Once it starts boiling, let it boil for 15 minutes more.
Step 7

LET COOL AND STORE -- After the processing time is done, remove the jars from the canner. You should hear each lid 'pop' as the air inside the jar contracts. This means the jar is sealed correctly. If any lids are loose or have not compressed, then you must refrigerate this jar and use it within a month or so. Otherwise, the sealed jars should be good for several years. Enjoy!

Comments

grammastacie said

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on 9/24/2009 great step by step instructions. 5*

respectfully said

on 9/8/2009 I can really use this right now. I always wanted to know how to do this. thanks 5* rec

on 8/8/2009 Your instructions are inspiring me to try this. So far, I have only tried refrigerator pickles because heat canning sort of scared me. But, your photos and instructions are clear and motivating! Thanks!