These easy homemade dill pickles are perfectly crisp, tangy and refreshing. They are seasoned with just the right amount of dill and garlic. Whether you’ll serve them with hot dogs, hamburgers or simply enjoy as a snack, they will be good for up to a year in your pantry. For more cucumber canning tips, visit our sweet and spicy pickles recipe.
Ingredients
12poundscucumbers* (approximately), well rinsed with ends trimmed
Sterilize Jars: Wash all jars and lids with warm soapy water. Sterilize the lids fully submerged in water for 4-5 minutes after the water starts boiling; carefully paper towel pat dry lids. Preheat the oven to a 215°F and place jars upside down onto oven racks. Dry jars for 20 minutes or until completely dry.
Make Pickling Brine: In a large pot, combine and stir: 12 cups water, 2 cups vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 2/3 cup salt and toss in 5 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat making sure salt and sugar are dissolved and let it rest 10 minutes, then discard the bay leaves.
Fill Jars: Wash and cut off both ends of the cucumbers. Fill the bottom of each jar with couple twigs of fresh dill, garlic cloves and black peppercorns. Tightly pack jars with cucumbers. Slowly pour the pickling brine into jars over cucumbers, up to the rim (leaving 1/2-inch of space at the top), and cover with lids, but do not close. A 1/4 measuring cup works great for pouring pickling brine.
Process the Jars: Line a kitchen towel or a microfiber towel at the bottom of the pot if not using rack. It is very important that the bottom of jars are not touching directly the pot or jars will crack when heated. Place packed jars into the canning pot and fill with warm water, about 2 inches below jars. Cover with lid, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and process/boil jars for about 15 minutes or as soon as cucumbers turn light green.
Seal the Jars: Carefully remove jars one by one from the water using jar lifter and tightly close lids (use kitchen towel or rubber oven mitt for best results). Flip the jars upside down and cover them with bath towels or blankets as soon as you flip them over (the more layers the better). Allow them to sit at room temperature undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. Store pickles in a cool place.
Notes
Cucumbers: The amount of cucumbers needed is based on whether you are canning whole cucumbers or sliced. Tightly packed jars will require less pickling brine, but the cucumbers will still marinate properly. You will end up with less or more than 8 (32oz) jars - it all depends on what size you cut the cucumbers and how tightly you pack the jars.
Metric Measurements: water is 2,880ml and vinegar is 480ml. In ingredients above, we rounded to the nearest round number for easier measuring. Both metric amounts work, just follow one or the other.
How to Test if Canning Seal Has Formed? When you push in the center of the lid, it should not pop up and down. If you're hearing popping or clicking, the seal did not form and the jar must be refrigerated. We never had it happen, but just in case, we want you to know what to do.
Pickling Brine: You can make the brine a day ahead, cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Allow the brine to come to room temperature while you pack jars with cucumbers.
Trim: Trimming cucumber ends is mandatory. The ends carry a ripening enzyme that promotes softening even after they’re pickled.
Over-processing: If you keep cucumbers for too long in the water bath, they will become soft. They will continue cooking once out, underneath the blanket of towels.
Storing Cucumbers: When canned properly and stored in a cool place, homemade pickles can keep for up to 1 year at room temperature. Once you break the seal, make sure to store them in the refrigerator for up to a month.