M great grandmother loved canning. I’m well versed in the food health and safety that surrounds canning food but she would can everything. From chicken, to simple jams – she was packing it all in jars.
I have made pickles this way for years and years. You do not need to water bath or pressure can and YES it is safe. Pickles are so high in acid from the vinegar that they will remain shelf stable for years. If the jars are sterilized, the brine being poured into the jars is hot, and the ingredients are washed and fresh – nothing will spoil.
I have attempted to water bath pickles before just for curiosity sake but it definitely takes away from the crunch of the pickle. The ice bath in addition to the alum is what keeps these pickles nice, fresh and crunchy.
Alum can be hard to find in stores sometimes. I just get mine shipped straight to my door. Get some here.
Great Grandmas Dilly Pickles
Course: Canning, SnackCuisine: Old School, American30
minutes40
minutesMy favorite ‘tried and true’ recipe that holds a special place in my heart.
Ingredients
4.5 cups water
1.5 cups pickling vinegar
1.5 tbsp pickling salt
A pinch of Alum (optional)
Fresh dill and dill heads
1.5 tbsp white sugar
Directions
- Sterilize canning jars with boiling water while you let your cucumbers (preferably small pickling cucumbers from the garden) sit in an ice bath.
- Once the jars are sterilized, pack them full of cucumbers, alum and dill – use as much dill as your heart desires. Each jar only needs a pinch of alum. Remember, this is optional.
- Add water, vinegar, salt and sugar to a sauce pan and stir until the granules are dissolved. Bring to a boil.
- Set all filled, prepared jars in the sink and place a canning funnel on the top of a jar. Setting them in the sink makes less of a mess. I have upgraded to a saucepan with a spout to make this process easier, but if you don’t have one – be prepared for a little mess.
- Remove the brine from the heat once it is boiling and immediately pour into a jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rim with paper towel and place the seal and ring on immediately. Set the jar off to the side. Use oven mitts.
- Repeat on the remaining jars. If you need to place the pot back on the stove to bring to a boil again, that’s okay and I recommend doing it to ensure the brine is hot at possible when the jars are sealed.
- Leave the jars undisturbed for 24 hours on the counter. If they have all successfully sealed, you can remove the outer ring and store the jars in a dark, cool place.
- For best results, store for 1-3 months before consuming for best flavor.
Notes
- If one or two jars do not seal – that is completely normal. I just place them in the fridge and they’ll last for months and months. Make sure to wait a month or two before consuming to ensure the best flavor.
- The sugar is also optional but I think it gives a nice balance against the saltiness and the bite of the vinegar.
- If you don’t have access to fresh cucumbers or garden dill – THAT IS OKAY! Larger cucumbers can be chopped up and used the same way.
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