How to Can Pickles With a Hot Water Bath

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Things You'll Need

  • Glass mason jars with lids

  • Fresh dill

  • Pickling cucumbers

  • Fresh garlic

  • Apple cider vinegar

  • Large pot

  • Canning tongs

  • Waxed pencil

You can preserve fresh pickling cucumbers by canning them.

If you enjoy eating pickles as a snack or garnish on your food, you do not have to purchase store-bought pickles that might contain preservatives and additives. Instead, make your own homemade pickles by canning them in a hot water bath. This method gives you pickles without unwanted ingredients and lets you experiment with the taste of the pickles by adding or taking out different seasonings.

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Step 1

Wash off fresh pickling cucumbers, and insert the cucumbers into a glass mason jar. Insert enough pickling cucumbers to fill the jar.

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Step 2

Slice eight whole cloves of garlic into quarters, and insert the quartered cloves of garlic into the jar with the pickling cucumbers. The garlic will fall into the spaces between the cucumbers.

Step 3

Insert sprigs of fresh dill into the spaces between the cucumbers. If you want the finished pickles to taste more like dill, add in six to seven sprigs of dill. If you like a lighter tasting pickle, only add in three to four sprigs of dill.

Step 4

Fill the jar with apple cider vinegar, wipe the rim of the jar with a washcloth to ensure that it is clean, and screw on the lid tightly.

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Step 5

Fill a large pot full of water, and insert the jar into the pot. The water should completely cover the jar. Heat the pot over high heat until the water boils. Boil the jar in the hot water bath for 15 minutes, then remove the jar with canning tongs. The lid should be concave, indicating that the jar is sufficiently sealed.

Step 6

Allow the jar of pickles to cool for two hours. Write the date on top of the lid using a waxed pencil.

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