I have been harvesting cucumbers from my garden and I love to can. Yum, crisp, tasty pickles from my kitchen to yours.
There is nothing like eating canned goods, that you grew while the weather was warm, in the winter. I can in a method that allows the jars to remain unrefrigerated on a shelf, until opened. Once opened, the seal is broke and they need refrigeration.
I like to use pint size jars for canning pickles. I bought these at Publix.This year I am making my cucumbers differently. I did the usual old fashioned recipes. But, I also (for the first time) am trying some of the store bought preparations to see if the pickles are better or worse. I like the idea of no preservatives. Canning is all about preserving food with the use of salt and pressure sealed jars. However, my husband mentioned he liked his pickles crisp, so I tried using Ball's (stay crisp) Pickle Mixes. I will let you know, after a few months how they taste and the differences.
The Old Fashioned recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles, without any preservatives:
- 4 pounds cucumbers
- 1 large sweet onion, quartered, or sliced about 1/4-inch thickness
- 1/3 cup kosher salt
- 3 cups cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 3/4 Tablespoon coriander seed
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
- Or use Pickling Spice to your taste
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1. Cut cucumbers into wedges or slices for burgers (I do both; wedges for eating alone and slices for burgers).
2. Slice onions into wedges or slices.
You can see a candle burning, it will burn the fumes of the cut onion, so that it will not burn my eyes while cutting. I also leave the root intact until the last cut, that is where most of the fumes are.3. Place cut up produce in a colander with the salt added. Place into a sink, or bowl to collect the water that will accumulate. Add ice on top, let sit for 3to 4 hours, allowing the salt to get the water out of the cucumbers, or you may refrigerate overnight.
4. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
I do the lids and jars separately; the jars take longer to come to a boil than the lids. It also makes it easier to grab the lids with the tongs.
Use jar lifting tongs to not burn your hands when putting jars into or when taking jars out of hot water. Place hot jars on paper towels to drain after you boil them.5. In a large pan, combine vinegar through red pepper flakes (the next 7 - 8 ingredients) and bring to a boil.
6. In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars.
7. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
8. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes.
See the jars are underwater with lids on ready to bring the water back to a boil to seal and preserve the contents of the jar for a shelf life. ;-)9. Remove pickles to cool and label with date. Wait 2-3 months before eating for best results.
The Quick method using Ball's Bread & Butter Pickle Mix:
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 lbs cucumbers cut into wedges or slices
- 1 large sweet onion cut into slices or quartered
- 2 1/2 C vinegar
- 2 1/2 C sugar
- 1/4 C Ball Bread & Butter Pickle Mix
Directions:
1. Cut cucumbers and onion into slices or wedges.
2. Combine in a large pan vinegar through pickle mix (next 3 ingredients), and bring to a boil.
3. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
4. In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars.
5. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
6. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Remove pickles to cool and label with date. Wait 2-3 months before eating for best results.
Old Fashioned, no preservative Kosher Dill Pickles:
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs cucumbers cut into wedges or slices
- 1 large onion cut into slices or wedges
- 45 heads or dill stalks, (I use 3 per pint jar). I grow them in my garden and just cut them off as a whole plant; however, you can purchase fresh dill at the grocery store in the produce section.
- 1/3 C kosher salt or even less, my family is not a fan of a strong salty taste).
- 4 C's cider vinegar
- 4 C's water
- 3/4 of a heaping C of sugar
- 3 Tbl Pickling Spice
- 5 bay leaves
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 2 Tablespoons of mustard seed
Directions:
1. Wash and cut cucumbers into either wedges or slices (I do both, one for hamburgers and the wedges for eating alone).
2. Slice onion in slices for burgers, or quarter them.
I burn a candle whenever I cut onions; it will burn the fumes from the onion...keeping your eyes from tearing. ;-)3. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
4. In a large pan, combine salt through mustard seeds (the last 8 ingredients) and bring to a boil.
6. In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars. Put 3 Dill heads into each jar and distribute the cooked garlic heads too (just make sure to even it out, so that one jar does not get all the garlic).
7. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
8. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes.
The Quick method using Ball's Kosher Dill Pickle Mix:
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 lbs cucumbers cut into wedges or slices
- 1 large sweet onion cut into slices or quartered
- 1 C vinegar
- 2 C's water
- 1/4 C Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix
1. Cut cucumbers and onion into slices or wedges.
2. Combine in a large pan vinegar through pickle mix (next 3 ingredients), and bring to a boil.
3. Sterilize jars & lids in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Remember to use tongs when handling hot jars and lids. 
4. In "still warm jars" place cucumbers and onions into jars.
5. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers in the jars; keep 1/4 of an inch from top of jar open with no liquid or cucumbers.
6. Place lids on with a light screw on top. Replace filled jars into hot water bath and boil for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Remove pickles to cool and label with date. Wait 2-3 months before eating for best results.
EnJoY!!! ;-)
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