CRISPY DILL PICKLES

By JoyceW-2

One of the secrets to making crispy dill pickles is to cold pack the pickles in hot sterilized jars. The other secret is to time the water bath precisely.

Ingredients

• BRINE:
• 16 4 inch long cucumbers, or 12 large cucumbers that can be chunk cut or spear cut.
• 12 large garlic cloves, peeled (can substitute minced garlic)
• 4 heads fresh dill (can substitute dry dill, see bottle for correct measurement to use)
• 2 hot red peppers or 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 2 1/2 cups vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup pickling salt

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare canning jars and lids (wash, then sterilize)

Chill the cucumbers in a refrigerator overnight if possible. Remove when you are ready to begin cold packing the cucumbers in the jars.

Wash the cucumbers to remove any debris or garden soil. Leave the small ones whole: with larger cucumbers, cut in chunks, spears, or slices. Pack the chilled cucumbers into 4 sterilized pint jars. To each pint, add 3 whole, peeled cloves of garlic, 1 head dill, and red pepper.

Make the brine; Mix the vinegar, water, and pickling salt in a large saucepan and heat to the boiling point. Pour hot brine over the cucumbers in the jars. Seal and place in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, marking the time as soon as you put the jars in. If you leave the jars in the boiling water bath longer, they will get soft.

Store the processed pickles for several weeks before using.