Water bath canning dill pickles is easy! These dill pickles get a little heat from the peppers and are The Best Dill Pickles I have ever eaten!
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Canning Dill Pickles is Easy!
I have made lots of pickles. Lots of quick pickles. For some reason, though I had never water bath canned dill pickles! It turns out that water bath canning is easy!
Small Batch Preserving
Since I don’t have a vegetable garden, I do what is called Small Batch Preserving. Small batch preserving makes canning accessible to everyone. You can use produce that you find at a farmer’s market or even the grocery store. Since you are only making a few jars, it doesn’t take as long and isn’t as much work!
For this recipe, I used one of my favorite canning books, Well Preserved: Small Batch Preserving. Some of my other favorites are: Small Batch Preserving, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches, and Preserving by the Pint.
I ended up with enough for 3 quart jars. Yes, I had some dead space at the top, I have not yet learned the fine art of pickle packing.
General Steps for Water Bath Canning
- Prepare your food ingredients per the recipes instructions.
- Partially fill a water bath canner with enough water to cover all the jars. Place the jars in the canner and bring the water to a boil. If your recipes processing time is less than 10 minutes, you need to sterilize your jars by leaving them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the water one by one using a jar lifter and fill per recipes instructions. Release air bubbles and leave appropriate head space. Wipe top of jars clean.
- Place the lids in the boiling water for 5 minutes and then remove them and place them on the jars. Place bands on the jars and apply band fingertip tight.
- Return jars to boiling water. Water should cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover canner and bring back up to a boil. Begin timing when water comes back to a boil.
- When time is up, remove jars from canner and place on a towel or newspaper covered service. Leave sit for 24 hours and check seals (jar lids should be turning downward.
- Store in a cool dark place.
Note – these are general steps, you will need a good canning book to get more in depth instructions. These are to show you the basic process and how easy it is!
If you want more practice with water bath canning, try these Pickled Cauliflower! They make a great addition to salads or appetizer trays! If you want to try something sweet, this Mango Marmalade is like sunshine in a jar!
The Best Dill Pickles!!
Ingredients
- 4 lb pickling cucumbers
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups vinegar
- 12 head fresh dill plus leaves
- 8 cloves garlic peeled (optional)
- 8 small hot chili peppers optional
- 1/4 cup pickling salt
- 4 tsp mixed pickling spice
Instructions
- Scrub the cucumbers thoroughly and cut a 1/4 inch slice off the blossom end.
- Prepare the preserving jars. (Use your canning book instructions).
- Combine the water and vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and keep at a simmer.
- Working one jar at a time. Place 3 dill heads and some leaves, 2 garlic cloves, 2 hot peppers, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pickling spice in the jar. Pack the cucumbers in the jar, wedging them in (so none will float to the top), leaving 1 inch head space. Pour in the hot vinegar solution, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Release any air bubbles, and refill leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and seal with band and rim according to canning instructions. Repeat with remaining jars. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
- Makes 4 1-quart jars.
Nutrition
Looking for more pickles?
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Amy says
July 21, 2018 at 12:46 amWe love dill pickles and this recipe looks fabulous. I will be leaving out the hot chili peppers. Thank you for sharing at Friday Favorites.
Pam Greer says
July 21, 2018 at 1:57 pmIt would be good with the peppers too!
Ellen says
April 15, 2018 at 7:43 pmThey look delicious! I’d love to have homemade pickles all year long.
linda spiker says
April 15, 2018 at 6:03 pmThose pickles look amazing. I can tell they would have that crispy snap when bitten! Yum!
Roxana says
April 15, 2018 at 5:18 pmLooks like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Veena Azmanov says
April 15, 2018 at 5:14 pmMmm, this sounds so good. Good idea! Looks very tasty. I LOVE how easy and delicious this is. One of my favs. I can’t WAIT to try this. Thank you for this great recipe! YUM!
Dannii says
April 15, 2018 at 3:34 pmI am obsessed with pickles and this is the year that I am going to try making them myself.
Ann says
July 21, 2017 at 2:35 amLovely images. Can’t say I’m a fan of pickled cucumbers though.
Ellen Pilch says
July 19, 2017 at 9:48 pmThese sound good. I have a similar recipe, but it doesn’t include the peppers.
Amy Arnold says
July 19, 2017 at 10:07 amMy husband has been saying he wants to try his hand at picking. I might need to send him this link!
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
The Florida Furkids says
July 18, 2017 at 8:48 pmSorry we are so late with this but thank you for your comforting words on the loss of our sweet Ellie. We are heartbroken.
The Florida Furkids
Jill Silverman Hough says
July 28, 2016 at 10:40 amI tried making pickles with homegrown ones a couple of summers ago and they didn’t turn out well–not crisp. Maybe because they weren’t pickling cucumbers? Your post has inspired me to try again–yours look great. 🙂
GiGi Eats says
August 18, 2015 at 12:38 pmI could eat pickles for days and never ever get sick of them! <3
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says
August 6, 2015 at 4:28 pmI just love that you added hot chili peppers to this recipe! What a great idea!
Kimberly says
July 28, 2014 at 9:33 pmI love pickles! They look amazing! Pinned. Please come and party with us tonight. We love having you!
Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls
Alesha @ Full Time Mama says
July 28, 2014 at 1:50 pmI’ve never made pickles, however, we LOVE dill pickles so I’d love to try! My husband has been wanting to try canning… This would be a good place to start! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing with us at Delicious Dish Tuesday! We hope to see you back again tomorrow will another great recipe!
Cynthia says
July 26, 2014 at 9:58 amMmmm, I’m sure these are delicious. Such a great canning recipe. Thank you for linking at the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you again next week.
grace says
July 23, 2014 at 4:51 pmi’ve never made actual pickles! i’ve canned dilly beans and pickled carrots, but never cukes. solid recipe. 🙂
Pam says
July 23, 2014 at 12:06 pmThey look fantastic! I just made refrigerator dills and they were fun but only last about a month in the fridge. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Melynda@OurSundayCafe says
July 21, 2014 at 4:33 pmWe don’t eat as many pickles as we use to, but this looks fun!
Marjie says
July 21, 2014 at 3:24 pmWithout the threat of school starting again soon, look at all the canning fun you are having! I’ve canned applesauce from apples right off our apple trees years ago, but nothing since. It does take a fair amount of time, but is so worthwhile in the dead of winter!
Stacy says
July 21, 2014 at 3:03 pmI seriously want to learn to can. Something is holding me back, but one of these days I am going to buy a canning book and cut loose! The possibilities are endless. Thanks for sharing! Dill pickles make my mouth water. Yum!
Pam Greer says
July 21, 2014 at 3:21 pmI think that after you do it once or twice you realize that it’s no big deal!
Betsy says
July 21, 2014 at 2:29 pmHi there, YUM—big ole dill pickles!!!!! Love ’em!!! I don’t make them –but I do buy pickling cucumbers at the Farmer’s Market… We love just cutting up those little cukes and putting them on our dinner plates along with juicy summer tomato slices. Tis the life..
Hugs,
Betsy
Pam Greer says
July 21, 2014 at 3:22 pmYou’re right, I think 3 jars are plenty!
Bonnie says
July 21, 2014 at 1:58 pmI love to can and preserve Pam. I think your pickles are just beautiful and 3 is enough. I mean how many dill pickles can one family eat in a year?
Monique says
July 21, 2014 at 10:09 amLove your blk and white here!
And the pickles too.
Joy says
July 21, 2014 at 9:33 amCouldn’t help but think of that Andy Griffith episode where Aunt Bea makes pickles (that don’t turn out as well as I know yours will) and Andy and Barney and Opie have to eat them all.
Pam Greer says
July 21, 2014 at 3:23 pmOh, I remember that one!
Joanne says
July 21, 2014 at 8:42 amYay for making this pickling classic! I love the CSA extras also. They make the experience so much more fun!