G3 Ranch Dill Pickles
Crunchy, crisp home made dill pickles! Spicy Dill Pickle variation is in the notes of this recipe.
Equipment
- 1 water bath
- pint or quart jars with rings and lids
Ingredients
Cucumbers
- 12 lbs pickling cucumbers
Ingredients per jar
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 bunch fresh dill
- 1 tsp pimentos
- 1/4-1/2 tsp pickle crisp
- 1/2-1 tbsp pickling spice
Pickling Brine
- 8 cups white vinegar 5% acidity
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup pickling salt
Instructions
- Estimate how many jars you will need - I got 6 quarts with this amount of cucumbers. You can use pint or quart jars, the amount of jars you will need will depend on the size of cucumbers you have. This recipe is good for pickle spears, sliced hamburger style pickles, baby dills, etc. Pretty much any way you can think of to make pickles is fine. I try to pick most of my cucumbers as baby dills and process them whole, but some of them get away from me and I quarter them the long way to make pickle spears.
- Wash your jars in hot, soapy water and set aside on a clean towel. Put your lids in a bowl of warm water to soak, this helps soften the seals so all your jars seal.
- Fill your water bath halfway with water and bring to a boil.
- While the water bath is heating up, mix the brine ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off but leave it on the burner so it stays hot while you pack your jars.
- While the brine is coming to a boil: In each jar, place one sliced clove of garlic, one bunch of dill, and 1 tsp diced pimentos. In quart jars, place 1/2 tsp pickle crisp and 1 tbsp pickling spice. In pint jars, place 1/4 tsp pickle crisp and 1/2 tbsp pickling spice.
- Prep your cucumbers by slicing however you'd like them if needed.
- Pack each jar as full of cucumbers as possible, you want them packed in tightly so they aren't able to float around and stay put in the brine.
- Pour the prepared brine in the jars, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace on each. With clean hands, place the lids and rings on the jars and hand tighten.
- Place the jars in the water bath, adding water until just covered if needed. Bring to a boil, and let the jars process at a boil for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and let them sit on the counter until they're completely cool. Be careful, there is lots of steam and hot water potentially splashing.
- Let the pickles sit in a dry, dark place for a couple of weeks to let the flavors mature, then it's time to enjoy! Refrigerate after you open a jar.
Notes
Spicy Dill Pickles - cut the tops off of some jalapeños and place 1-3 of them in the jars when you pack the cucumbers in. Leave the seeds in the jalapeños for the most heat. You can also add red pepper flakes for extra heat. The pickles will get spicier as they sit so don't go too crazy unless you like super spicy pickles. These are great for beer pickles, Bloody Marys or Caesars.