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Authentic Old Fashioned Dill Pickles - Traditional Canning Recipe

This is an old fashioned canning recipe that will guide you on how to make dill pickles and can without a canner. Simple, natural ingredients, no excessive vinegar or salt, no fancy tools! These pickles have a nice crunch to them and last over three years on your shelf.
Note: this is an old-school open kettle (inversion) canning recipe.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting time2 days 5 hours
Keyword: Canned Dill Pickle Recipe, Dill Pickles, Easy Pickled Cucumber Recipe, how to can without a canner, How to Pickle Cucumbers, inversion canning, Kosher Dill Pickles, old fashioned canning recipes, old fashioned dill pickle, Open Kettle Canning Recipe, Pickle Brine Recipe, Pickles Recipe, Traditional Pickles

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pickling cucumbers, small (2.5 kg ) approximate quantity

Pickling Brine (marinade) for dill pickles (per liter)

  • The amount of marinade (brine) you need depends on how many 32 oz. (1-liter) Mason jars you’re using, not the weight of the cucumbers. Larger cucumbers take up more space in the jars than smaller ones.For this amount of ingredients, we made 2 liters of brine.
  • 1 ½ cup Water per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 1 ½ tbsp pickling salt per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 1 ½ tbsp sugar per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 1 ½ tbsp 7% Pickling vinegar per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 2 garlic cloves per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 2 dill flow heads with stems per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 1 bay leaf per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 6 whole black peppercorns per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar
  • 3 slices of horseradish root per 1-liter (32 oz.) jar

Instructions

  • Start by washing the cucumbers, then let them soak in cold water for 2 to 5 hours. After draining, trim the tail ends of the cucumbers.
  • (!) Before you begin canning the cucumbers, ensure that the jars are cleaned with soapy water and properly sterilized.
  • Once the jars are sterilized and cooled, pack the cucumbers tightly into them. The goal is to leave as little space as possible. If needed, you can cut the cucumbers into halves or quarters. Leave some space at the top to add dill heads, or you can place them at the bottom or between the cucumbers. Cut garlic cloves into halves or quarters and add 2 cloves to a 32 oz. jar or 1 clove to a 16 oz. jar. Include peppercorns, bay leaves, and optional sliced horseradish root.
  • Measure out 1 ½ parts of cold, clean water for each 1-liter (32 oz.) jar filled with cucumbers to kickstart the pickling process. In a pot large enough to hold the measured water, bring it to a rolling boil and let it boil for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and immediately pour the piping hot water into the jars containing the cucumbers. It is best to do this while keeping your jars in a kitchen sink. Let the cucumbers sit in hot water for 15 minutes.
  • Pour the water back into the pot and bring it to a boil again. If a few peppercorns or horseradish pieces end up in the boiling water, it's alright. Pour the hot water into the cucumber jars again and let them sit for another 10 minutes.
  • Before proceeding, bring a smaller pot of water to a boil. This will be used to sterilize the lids and soften the seal that ensures the jars stay shelf-stable for years. Note: Do not boil the lids. Turn off the heat just before dropping them into the water.
  • Pour the water back into the pot and add the measured salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil and continue boiling until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved. As you're about to turn off the heat, add the pickling vinegar. Turn off the heat immediately – this is your pickling brine.
  • Once you added the pickling vinegar to the marinade, place the jar lids into the freshly boiled water.
  • Carefully pour the marinade into the jars with the pickles. Cover with lids right away and securely tighten the lid bands.
  • Turn the jars upside down and wrap them tightly in warm towels. We recommend using two or three beach towels for three large jars. Leave the jars like this for 2 days or until they're completely cool to the touch.
  • Congratulations, your jars are now ready for your pantry! Whether you're grilling, tossing salads, or saucing things up, these pickled cucumbers are your go-to for adding that special something to your food.

Notes

Depending on the size of cucumbers used and whether you want to slice larger cucumbers or keep them intact, you may end up using either two 1-liter (32 oz.) Mason jars or one 1-liter (32 oz.) Mason jar paired with one half-liter (16 oz.) Mason jar to fit the weight of cucumbers specified in this recipe.
The required amount of marinade is determined by the number of 32 oz. (1-liter) Mason jars used, not the weight of the cucumbers. This is because a pound of cucumbers that are large in size will require more space in your jars than a pound of cucumber that are small.