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Recipe for Kosher-Style Dill Pickles | Almanac.com

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Kosher-Style Dill Pickles

Yield
Makes 2 quart jars.
Category
Pickles and Preserves
Course
Side Dishes
Preparation Method
Boil
Sources
The Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Cookbook

Kosher-Style Dill Pickles
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Ingredients
30 to 36 pickling cucumbers (3 to 4 inches long)
3 cups vinegar
6 tablespoons pickling salt
1 small bunch fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill per jar
1/2 to 1 clove garlic per jar, blanched and sliced
1/2 tablespoon mustard seed per jar
Instructions
Wash the cucumbers in cold water. In a large pot, make a brine from the vinegar, 3 cups of water, and salt and bring to a boil. In the bottom of a sterilized quart jar, place a generous layer of dill (seed heads, leaves, and stems are all suitable), 1/2 to 1 clove of garlic, and 1/2 tablespoon mustard seed. Pack the cucumbers vertically into the jar until it is about half full, then add more dill and fill the remainder of the jar with cucumbers. Repeat, using all of the cucumbers and jars. Fill the jars to within 1/2-inch of the top with the boiling brine. Seal and process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes; start counting the processing time when the water starts to boil. Note: Pickles may shrivel after the processing but will later plump in the sealed jars.

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Comments

amber (not verified)

5 years 3 months ago

How long do you have to wait before you can eat them?

Linda Ray (not verified)

8 years 10 months ago

This is the recipe I used and they are Faaaabbbbuuuuulous!!! When my brother and sister come for a visit, they can put back an entire quart jar. They aren't shy about it!
For crisp pickles, three things to note (and they all matter):
1. Be absolutely CERTAIN to pick and put up the same day for this recipe. (If you use a farm stand, be sure you know the owners/managers and can rely on them to tell you when the cukes are fresh picked that morning. Don't wait 'til the heat of the day. If cucumbers sit around, the quality and crispness deteriorate. The cukes will be okay for relish or B&Bs, but not for dills if they sit around.
2. Filter your water or use distilled. My city tap water wrecks pickles. When I filter the water, they turn out great.
3. I find that where I live, at sea level basically, I have to do a Simmering Water Bath rather than BWB. Some people will put in alum. I find that or the grape leaves unnecessary when I do the SWB method.
Here's hoping for a bumper crop of cucumbers this year.

Dee Jsaan (not verified)

9 years 11 months ago

I make a lot of pickles and I also cut the bloom end off about 1/2 inch back from the the tip. When washing them I don't soak them in water, just wipe them off well with a damp sponge or cloth. This cleans them off
sufficiently and they'll absorb more brine if not soaked in water.

I always place in the bottom of the jar with the dill, garlic clove, & mustard seed a Horseradish leaf or grape vine leaf which is said to help kill any of that enzyme that causes the cukes to go soft. I also dice a white onion and put a 1/4 Cup of them in the pint jar with the cukes that have been cut in half down the middle.

I use an equal amount of white sugar with the salt in my brine. When I fill the jars with the slightly cooled brine the lids go on tight. When I hear them seal with a "plink" I shake the jars well and set them in the fridge for a week before eating them. Mine are always crisp and crunchy and those who try them say they wish I'd go into the pickle making business.

Diana L Anderson (not verified)

10 years 3 months ago

Most pickles need to set 2 weeks after they are made.