YIELD: AROUND 14 CUPS
Kosher dill pickles are pickled cucumbers, with garlic and dill seed (or fresh dill sprigs). If you leave out the garlic, they are known as dill pickles. Kosher dill pickles are commonly left whole or in spears (icicles) in the jars - but you can also slice them (crinkle/zig-zag cut or round) into thin or thicker slices, sandwich (lengthwise) slices or chunks - prepare them according to how you and your family enjoys. They are crunchy and delicious as a snack on their own, or adding a great pickle flavour in burgers and chopped roughly to add into homemade potato salad. Allow to mellow for 6-8 weeks before use. To keep your pickles crisp, use firm, ripe pickling cucumbers and keep them cold as much as possible during preparation.
INGREDIENTS:
Kosher dill pickles are pickled cucumbers, with garlic and dill seed (or fresh dill sprigs). If you leave out the garlic, they are known as dill pickles. Kosher dill pickles are commonly left whole or in spears (icicles) in the jars - but you can also slice them (crinkle/zig-zag cut or round) into thin or thicker slices, sandwich (lengthwise) slices or chunks - prepare them according to how you and your family enjoys. They are crunchy and delicious as a snack on their own, or adding a great pickle flavour in burgers and chopped roughly to add into homemade potato salad. Allow to mellow for 6-8 weeks before use. To keep your pickles crisp, use firm, ripe pickling cucumbers and keep them cold as much as possible during preparation.
INGREDIENTS:
2.7kg (6 pounds) pickling cucumbers
2 tablespoons pickling salt
4 cups white vinegar
4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar (optional)
7 garlic cloves, peeled
7 teaspoons dill seed
METHOD:
2 tablespoons pickling salt
4 cups white vinegar
4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar (optional)
7 garlic cloves, peeled
7 teaspoons dill seed
METHOD:
- 3-4 hours prior: wash pickling cucumbers, drain. Trim ends and discard. Cut into halves, quarters or spears, or even slices (using crinkle (zig-zag) cutter), rounds or sandwich (lengthwise) slices roughly 1/4 inch (0.5cm) thick. Place cucumbers in a bowl, add salt and stir to distribute. Place into a large sieve and place over bowl. Refrigerate 3-4 hours.
- Prepare jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes.
- Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a pan. Dissolve over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil.
- Drain prepared cucumbers, rinsing well to remove excess salt. Pack tightly into jars to 1/2 inch (1cm) headspace, with 1 clove of garlic per pint (450ml) jar.
- While you are making the pickling solution, place the lids into a pan of previously boiling water. Do not simmer or boil, just let the lids heat through for a few minutes while you fill the jars with the pickle slices, removing the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
- Once pickles are packed into jars, add 1 teaspoon dill seed into each pint (2 cup capacity) jar. Ladle hot pickling solution over the top to 1/2 inch headspace. Remove bubbles, wipe rims and seal.
- Process in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (start timer once water returns to a full boil). When time is up, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
- The next day: check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months.
- Add extra garlic cloves
- Add an extra teaspoon of salt into the pickling solution - we love our salty, garlic-packed kosher dills!
- Leave garlic out - this makes your jars "dill pickles"
- Add a sprig of fresh dill instead of (or as well as) the dill seed
- Leave small pickling cucumbers whole, or you can cut them into crinkle cut circles, normal rounds (circles), sandwich slices (long horizontal slices) or spears (icicles), either thinly or thick.
