Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe – Includes Water Bath Canning Instructions

When it comes to preserving your fresh picked cucumbers from the garden, it doesn’t get much better or easier than making Garlic Dill Pickles. With just a few ingredients and some basic canning equipment, you can enjoy the taste of summer all year long.

The cucumbers turn into crunchy pickles that are full of great flavor. Enjoy them as a condiment on hamburgers and sandwiches, or eat them as a healthy snack.

Either way you will love the taste of these pickles, especially knowing that you made them yourself! However, in order to make sure that the pickles turn out perfect every time, there are a few key tips that you must follow.

Which Cucumber Varieties are Ideal for Garlic Dill Pickles?

While numerous cucumber varieties can be utilized for making pickles, the optimal cucumbers for this purpose are typically small, firm, and possess a thin skin. Save the larger cucumbers for salads or utilize them in dishes like Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad or Cucumber Cream Cheese Spread.

The Boston Pickling cucumber, also known as the standard pickling cucumber, is a popular choice for pickling due to its small and firm nature. These cucumbers contain higher levels of natural sugars, resulting in sweeter pickles.

Another excellent pickling option is the Persian cucumber. Home picklers often prefer Persian cucumbers because they have fewer seeds, leading to crisper and less watery pickles.

Nonetheless, there are numerous other pickling cucumber varieties available today that can also yield exceptional pickles. If you don’t grow your own cucumbers, you can easily find them at local Farmer’s markets, vegetable stands, or even grocery stores.

Guidelines for Preparing Cucumbers for Pickling

Now that you’re aware of the cucumber varieties that yield the best garlic dill pickles, it’s time to prepare them for the canning process. Here are a few tips to ensure your pickles turn out delightfully crisp:

1. Use Fresh Picked Cucumbers: The crispiest pickles come from cucumbers picked from the vine within the past 24 hours.

2. Choose Young and Small Cucumbers: Pickling cucumbers are best harvested when they reach a length of 3-4 inches, displaying a bumpy, dark green exterior.

3. Remove the Ends: To achieve ultimate crispness, slice off the blossom end of each cucumber. This end contains enzymes that may lead to softening.

Determining which end is the blossom end can be done by noting that it appears small, rough, and may slightly protrude outward. On the other hand, the stem end is larger and features an indented circle.

However, if you’re unable to distinguish between the two ends easily, it’s best to cut off both ends.

Essential Equipment for Canning Pickles

To successfully can pickles you will need the following equipment:

Canning Jars: Choose glass jars specifically designed for canning. For this recipe, you’ll need 8 pint-sized jars.

Water Bath Canner: A large pot with a rack at the bottom is crucial for the canning process. Ensure it’s spacious enough to accommodate your jars and can allow for an additional one to two inches of water above the jars.

Canning Utensils: Several specialized canning utensils are necessary, including a jar lifter for safely handling hot jars, a funnel to help fill the jars with the brine, and a bubble remover/headspace tool to eliminate air bubbles and maintain proper headspace at the top of each jar.

Washcloths/Towels: Simple washcloths or towels come in handy during the canning process. Use a clean washcloth to wipe the jar rims before sealing with the lid and band. Additionally, have a large, thick towel available to place hot jars on for cooling.

Essential Tips for Successful Canning

When using water bath canning to preserve fruits, vegetables, and salsa, it’s important to follow the below canning tips to ensure the safety and quality of your preserved food.

1. Use a spacious pot with a lid, deep enough to accommodate your canning jars with at least one to two inches of water covering them. The pot should include a rack or insert to prevent the jars from touching the bottom.

2. Prior to filling the jars with sliced cucumbers and the garlic dill pickle brine, sterilize them by boiling in water for 10 minutes. Some dishwashers also offer a sterilize setting that can be utilized.

3. Adhere to the recommended headspace, leaving sufficient space at the top of the jar. Overfilling can cause contents to leak out and prevent proper sealing as they expand during the canning process.

4. Thoroughly wipe the rims clean to eliminate any spilled brine, ensuring a clean and secure seal.

Canning Lids, Bands & Water Bath Canning:

5. Refer to the instructions on the lids’ packaging, as many brands no longer require preheating before placing them on the filled jars.

6. Only tighten the bands to finger tightness. Over-tightening can result in bent lids and improper sealing.

7. Process the jars of bread and butter pickles in boiling water for the specified time indicated in the recipe. However, begin timing only after the water has returned to a full rolling boil.

8. After removing the jars from the water bath, allow them to cool on a towel-lined counter for 24 hours before checking the seal.

9. Once the jars have cooled, assess the seal by pressing the center of the lid. A firm and non-flexible lid indicates a proper seal. If the lid pops up and down easily, it signifies a failed seal, and the contents should be refrigerated or reprocessed.

10. Remove the bands and store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

By following these tips, you can ensure successful and safe canning of your garlic dill pickles.

Garlic Dill Pickle Recipe

*Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to keep reading for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 16 pickling cucumbers, sliced any way you prefer (coin sized, spears, chunks)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 4 cups water
• 5 tablespoons pickling salt
• 16 garlic cloves, peeled (2 per jar)
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper – 1/4 teaspoon per jar
• 8 teaspoons dill seed – 1 teaspoon per jar
• 4 teaspoons black peppercorns -1/2 teaspoon per jar

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Arrange the sterilized jars on counter. Evenly divide each of the spices and place them in the bottom of the jars.

Wash and slice the cucumbers, being sure that you cut off the blossom ends. Pack the slices firmly into the jars, leaving as little space in between them as you can. However be sure to leave ½ inch headspace at the top of each jar.

Pour the brine into the jar, leaving ½ inch headspace.

Canning Instructions Using a Hot Water Bath

Place a plastic knife down the sides of the jars to remove any air bubbles.

Wipe the rim of each jar clean with a damp washcloth. Then apply a canning lid and finger tighten the band.

Have your water bath canner near boiling (this is key to keep the pickles crisp). Then using jar lifters lower the jars in the water. As soon as the water comes to a rapid boil set the timer for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude as necessary.

Turn off the heat and once the water stops boiling carefully use the jar lifters to carefully remove the jars from the hot water and place them on a thick towel that is on a heat resistant counter/table.

Let the jars sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Then before storing, press down on each lid to make sure they do not pop back up. If they do not, the jars have sealed properly and can be stored in a cool dark place for up to 1 year. If there are any jars that did not seal then store the jar in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Mary and Jim

Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.

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