How to Make Kosher Dill Pickles

Can your own kosher dill pickles.

Kosher dill pickles turn up in delis across the world as sandwich components, snacks and garnishes. You can make your own version at home with minimal effort using cucumbers from the grocery store, farmer's market or your home garden. Add garlic cloves to can your own crunchy garlic-flavored kosher pickles.

Things You'll Need

• Wide-mouthed glass or ceramic crock
• Cheesecloth
• Canning jars
• Large cooking pot
• 4 quarts water
• 3/4 cup kosher salt or regular coarse salt
• 25 small pickling cucumbers
• 15 cloves garlic, peeled
• Large bunch fresh dill
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. dill seeds
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds

Instructions

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to the boiling water. Stir until the salt is dissolved completely. Remove the water from the heat. Allow the water to cool for 30 minutes.

2. Scrub all 25 cucumbers clean and set them aside. Place the fresh dill, peeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, dill seeds, black peppercorn and mustard seeds into the large crock. Add the cucumbers to the crock.

3. Pour in the salt water. Add enough to cover all of the pickles by a couple inches.

4. Cover the crock with a lid or using a plate that is large enough to serve as a lid. Weigh the plate down. Use with a large coffee mug or something similar that has been filled with water for added weight. Put the crock in a cool location and cover it up with cheesecloth.

5. Check the crock every day. Skim off and discard any foam that comes to the top. If you prefer your pickles a little less sour, remove the cucumbers from the brine after five days. If you like fully sour pickles, allow the cucumbers to stay in the brine for 10 days. Remove the cucumbers from the brine when you are satisfied.

6. Add the pickles to clean and sterilize canning jars. Fill the jars with brine, garlic, dill, dill seeds, black peppercorn and mustard seeds from the pickling mixture. Seal the jars. Store your pickles in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Tips & Warnings

• When choosing cucumbers for canning, select small pickling cucumbers. Large cucumbers often are too pulpy.

• If you like pickled green tomatoes, exchange the cucumbers for tomatoes.

• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water before canning.

References

• Food Network: Dill Pickles
• Epicurious: Fast Favorite Garlic Dill Pickles
• YouTube: How to Make Dill Pickles