How to Cold Process Dill Pickles

Pickles are the perfect side dish for American fare, such as burgers and hot dogs.

Pickles have been a favorite food for thousands of years, ever since the Mesopotamians made them a part of their culinary history. Once used as a means of preventing scurvy during sea travel, dill pickles are doubly as popular as their sweeter cousins in America. While pickles are usually canned through a hot process, cold process pickles can also be created if a canner is unavailable or not desired. Refrigerated pickles are simple to create, and can be stored for several months.

Things You'll Need

• Small cucumbers
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Refrigerator pickling mixture
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 large ceramic or glass pot
• Sterilized mason jars
• Fresh clean grape leaves
• Sterilized mason jar lids
• Sterilized mason jar rims
• Large pot
• Jar tongs

Instructions

1. Rinse the cucumbers under running water and rub them with your hands to remove any dirt and debris.

2. Cut the ends off of the cucumbers. Cut each one lengthwise into quarters, or desired size.

3. Pour the vinegar and pickling mix in to the large pot. Place it on the stove and bring it to a simmer.

4. Insert one grape leaf in the bottom of each mason jar. Place the cucumber slices vertically in the mason jars, leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top.

5. Pour the simmering vinegar mixture on the packed cucumbers, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top.

6. Set the lids on the jars and tighten the rims around them until they are tight.

7. Cool the jars for two hours. Place the jars in the refrigerator and allow them to sit for 24 hours to one week to absorb the flavor. Use within two months.

Tips & Warnings

• To make your own pickle mix, combine 1/2 cup fresh dill, 2 cups sliced onions, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. ground mustard, 1/4 tsp. star anise, and 1 tsp. celery seeds.

• Only use pickles that are firm, fresh, and have no discoloration or wrinkling on their skins. Overripe or damaged cucumbers can spoil the entire batch.

• Do not use a metal pot to simmer the vinegar mix, as it will make the mix cloudy.

References

• CNN: 12 fun facts in pickled history
• Pick Your Own: How to make refigerator dill pickles
• Epicurious: Slightly Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles
• A Way to Garden: dan koshansky's refrigerator pickles