Tuesday, August 1, 2017

My Favorite Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe (and spicy variation)

When someone offers me garden fresh cucumbers I don't hesitate.

I ABSOLUTELY would use them.  I would love to have them.

My own little garden has been slow and steady with the cucumbers this year, but never enough at one time to get a good batch of brine soaked beauties going.  Then a kind friend brought me a full box of cucumbers.  Wonderful!  Less than an hour later and I was enjoying the smells of vinegar, garlic and dill.

The Garlic Dill Pickle recipe I use is my own mixture of several I have tried.  The first pickles I ever canned I actually used zucchini and they were crunchier and just as tasty as their cucumber counterparts.  So I encourage you to use what you have.  The quantities may vary slightly by the size of your jars too.   Just make sure that you have the 1/2" headspace at the top of the jars and they will turn out well.


Garlic Dill Pickle
  • 8-10 medium cucumbers (or zucchini)
  • 2 cups (500 mL) white vinegar
  • 2 cups (500 mL) water
  • 2 tablespoons (25 mL) kosher salt
  • 4 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tsp minced dill weed (dried is fine)
  • 4 tsp dill seed
  • about 20 black peppercorns
1. Cut a thin slice from the ends of each cucumber and discard.  Cut into spears or slices.

    1. 2.  Combine vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
    2. 3. Remove hot jars from canner. Place 1 tsp of dill seed, dill weed, and garlic into each jar followed by approx 5 peppercorns ; pack in cucumbers. Pour boiling vinegar mixture over cucumbers to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim (head space). Process 10 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars and 15 minutes for quart (1 L) jars. 
    3. 4.  Remove jars from canner and set out to dry on a towel.  Wait at least one week to open and enjoy for optimal flavor.


Hot Garlic Pickle Variation

  • 8-10 medium cucumbers (or zucchini)
  • 2 cups (500 mL) white vinegar
  • 2 cups (500 mL) water
  • 2 tablespoons (25 mL) kosher salt
  • 4 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tsp chili flakes
  • 2 tsp Louisiana style seasoning mix

Make following the Garlic Dill instructions only adding 1/2 tsp of Louisiana style seasoning to each jar.  


I hope that you love this pickles as much as I do and that you are blessed by a bounty of fresh cucumbers to make them with.


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