Crispy Dill Pickle Canning Recipe

Our friend and guest blogger Chez LaRae worked up this crispy Dill Pickle canning recipe. You can follow LaRae’s amazing food adventures on Instagram and her website. LaRae is a self-taught baker, cooking and baking instructor, recipe developer, and an editor at @thefeedfeed. See LaRae's other recipe guest blog posts.

Are you looking for a homemade pickle that is tart and packed with fresh dill flavor and crunch? This summer canning recipe is loaded with traditional spices and a rich, warm color derived from turmeric. I also discovered a unique pickling process from America’s Test Kitchen that uses “low-temperature pasteurization” which helps produce a crisper pickle. Be prepared, you will need an instant read or candy thermometer and this process requires monitoring for thirty minutes. However, the results are fantastic and worth it.

Our Custom Kraft Apothecary Pickle Canning Labels are perfect for Dill, Sweet, Bread & Butter or good old-fashioned Kosher. Labels are customized and printed with your text for whatever pickle you put up. Shop our Apothecary Canning Label Collection for fruits and vegetables.

Crispy Dill Pickles Canning Recipe

Recipe modified from “Foolproof Preserving” by America’s Test Kitchen.

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Preservation method: Waterbath canning

Difficulty level: Moderate

Yield: Makes four 1-pint jars

You will need 4 clean pint jars and closures, a boiling water canner, rack, jar lifter, canning funnel, instant read or digital thermometer, cheesecloth, and wooden skewer

• 2 ½ lbs. pickling cucumbers, ends trimmed, cut into lengthwise quarter spears, 4-inches long
• 2 tbsp canning and pickling salt
• 2 cups chopped fresh dill plus four large sprigs
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped or cut into thin strips
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 3 cups water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp brown or yellow mustard seeds (I like a half and half mix)
• 1 tbsp dill seeds
• ¾ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Ball Pickle Crisp
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half

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Toss cucumber spears with pickling salt in a bowl and refrigerate for 3 hours. Drain cucumbers in a strainer. Do not rinse. Pat dry with clean kitchen or paper towels.

Meanwhile, set canning rack in waterbath canner, place four 1-pint jars on the rack, and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then turn off heat, cover, and keep water warm.

In a separate smaller pot, gently simmer lids and bands. Do not boil.

Bundle chopped dill in a cheesecloth sachet and secure with twine. Bring dill sachet, red peppers, cider vinegar, water, sugar, mustard seeds, dill seeds, and ground turmeric to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Turn off heat, cover, and keep warm.

Place dish towel flat on counter. Using a jar lifter, remove jars from pot and drain water back into the pot. Add 1/8 tsp Pickle Crisp to each hot jar, then pack tightly with fresh dill sprigs, garlic, and drained cucumbers.

Return brine to a brief boil. Remove and discard cheesecloth sachet. Using funnel and a ladle, pour hot brine over cucumbers to cover, distributing spices evenly. Leave ½” headspace. Slide wooden skewer along inside of jar, removing air bubbles that are in between cucumbers and dill. Add extra brine if needed for ½” headspace.

Wipe rims with a damp cloth, center lids on top and screw on bands until fingertip tight. Lower jars in water and bring water to 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit measuring temperature with your thermometer. Process for 30 minutes and adjust heat as needed to maintain water between 180 and 185 degrees. The water will be at a simmer at this temperature, not a boil.

Remove jars from water and place on a clean dish cloth. Let cool and do not disturb for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seals, and attach custom Apothecary Pickle Canning Labels by CanningCrafts. Pickles can be stored in pantry for up to 12 months.

Recipe modified from “Foolproof Preserving” by America’s Test Kitchen.

PRINT THE RECIPE CARD

Shop our Apothecary Canning Label Collection

Decorate your home canned goods with our rustic Apothecary Canning Label Collection. These custom kraft labels are available for a variety of fruits and vegetables. Customize with a food name, short saying, ingredients, date, or weight. These old-fashioned labels are perfect for farmer’s market sales, pantry storage, and can also be used for bath & body products like sugar scrubs and candles.

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