• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Chickens and Farm Animals
  • Gardening
  • Recipes
  • Podcast
    • Guest Application

Beyond The Chicken Coop logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Chickens and Farm Animals
  • Gardening
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Podcast
    • Guest Application
×
Home » Canning » Dill Pickles

Published: Aug 1, 2015 · Modified: Oct 12, 2020 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Dill Pickles

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Jump to Recipe
Homemade Dill Pickles - Recipe for making dill pickles one jar at a time or a dozen jars at a time.

The cucumbers plants are loaded and I have an abundance of cucumbers!  Time for canning dill pickles!

A glass canning jar filled with dill pickle spears.
Table of Contents
Cucumbers
Tips for making dill pickles
Processing pickles
Low temperature pasteurization
Dill Pickles

Cucumbers

In my garden, I have four cucumber plants.  Three are pickling cucumbers and one is just for eating.  Of course, you can eat pickling cukes too. They make a great slice and eat cucumber, but they are also perfect for making dill pickles!

Pickling cucumbers are best for making pickles.

A stack of pickling cucumbers with one cucumber in the front of the stack.

Tips for making dill pickles

  • Use white distilled vinegar...you often use apple cider vinegar for bread and butter pickles.
  • Use pickling salt.  Pickling salt (or canning salt) doesn't have any iodine or anti-caking agent added.  This helps keep your brine clear and not cloudy.
  • Use pickling cucumbers!  They are different than an eating cucumber.
  • Use fresh dill.  You want the flowering head for  your pickles.
  • Wait a few weeks before trying...they need time to pickle!
  • I prefer to use whole, small pickling cucumbers.  Once they get too large, I slice them into spears.
  • Use pint or quart sized jars.

Processing pickles

My grandmother's original recipe did not water bath the pickles, but as as more knowledge has been gathered about home canning, recommended practices have changed. I now recommend either water bath canning or low temperature pasteurization as recommended by the NCFHP.

Low temperature pasteurization

This method is recommended by the NCFHP for certain types of pickled foods. Only use this method when a recipe indicates it has been approved for low temperature pasteurization.

This method yield a better pickle texture, but must be carefully monitored to avoid possible spoilage.

  • Place filled jars in a water bath canner filled halfway with warm water (120° - 140°F)
  • Add hot water to canner so the level of the water is one inch above the jars
  • Heat the water to 180-185°F for 30 minutes. Use a thermometer to be certain the water temperature does not go below 180°F for the entire 30 minutes
  • After 30 minutes, immediately remove your jars from the canner and place on a cooling rack until fully cool. Then test the lids for a seal.
Fresh dill seed next to a jar of dill pickles.

This recipe has been adjusted to reflect best practices as defined by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

  • Canning jars filled with food on a shelf.
    Episode 44 Canning Jars
  • Pouring turkey broth into a stock pot.
    Homemade Turkey Broth
  • An English muffin covered with peach jam.
    Peach Preserves
  • Canning jars filled with sliced peaches.
    Canning Peach Pie Filling
A glass canning jar filled with pickle spears.

Dill Pickles

Kathy
How to can dill pickles
5 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Soaking Time & Processing Time 12 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course canning
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Quarts
Calories 7 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Canning Pot
  • Canning Jar Lifter
  • Quart Canning Jars (or use pint size jars)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

Presoak

  • 8 pounds pickling cucumbers (3-5 inch)
  • 2 gallons water
  • ¾ cup canning salt

Pickles

  • 1 ½ quarts white vinegar (5%)
  • 2 quarts water
  • ½ cup canning salt
  • 14 heads of fresh dill

Instructions
 

Presoak

  • Wash cucumbers. Cut a very thin slice off blossom end and discard, but leave ¼-inch of stem attached.
    8 pounds pickling cucumbers
  • Dissolve ¾ cup salt in 2 gallons of water. Pour over cucumbers and let stand 12 hours. Drain
    2 gallons water, ¾ cup canning salt
  • Combine vinegar, 2 quarts water and ½ cup canning salt. Heat to boiling.
    1 ½ quarts white vinegar, 2 quarts water, ½ cup canning salt
  • Place small cucumbers directly in clean canning jars along with fresh dill heads
    14 heads of fresh dill
  • Pour boiling pickling mixture into jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe down rim of jars, add lid and ring.

Process

  • Process jars using Low Temperature Pasteurization Treatment (see Notes below) or in a water bath canner according to the recommended times (see chart below in the Notes)

Notes

Choose either method for processing pickles:
 
Low Temperature Pasteurization Method:
    • Place filled jars in a water bath canner filled halfway with warm water (120° - 140°F)
    • Add hot water to canner so the level of the water is one inch above the jars
    • Heat the water to 180-185°F for 30 minutes. Use a thermometer to be certain the water temperature does not go below 180°F for the entire 30 minutes
    • After 30 minutes, immediately remove your jars from the canner and place on a cooling rack until fully cool. Then test the lids for a seal.
    • Source - NCHFP 
 
Water Bath Processing Times
  • Process pints for 10 minutes (0-1000 ft in altitude)
  • Process quarts for 15 minutes (0-1000 ft in altitude)
  • Add 5 minutes to processing time at altitudes 1001-6000 ft
  • Add 10 minutes to processing time at altitudes above 6000 ft
 
This recipe has been adjusted to reflect current practices recommended by the NCHFP. 4/14/23

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 7kcal
Keyword dill pickles recipe, homemade pickles
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

 

More Canning

  • A large blue and white enamel pot on a stove.
    Water Bath Canning
  • Canning jars filled with cherries.
    Canning Cherries
  • Toasted English muffin topped with raspberry jam.
    Raspberry Jam without Pectin
  • Canning jars filled with chopped carrots.
    Canning Carrots
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. K says

    August 04, 2022 at 10:46 am

    Hey, I am just wondering how long they are good for if they do seal properly?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 05, 2022 at 8:13 am

      Most canned goods should be consumed within a year.

      Reply
  2. Terri says

    August 27, 2021 at 2:13 pm

    I just made these 9 pints and 18 quarts, can’t wait to taste them 🙂 thank you for posting

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 28, 2021 at 6:35 am

      That's wonderful!!! Enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  3. Carolah says

    August 07, 2021 at 1:11 am

    Do you bring lids to a boil then place on jars after they were wiped down or do you put lids on straight out of packaging?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 07, 2021 at 6:30 am

      Hi Carolah,
      I wash the lids in warm soapy water and then rinse well. I don't boil them before adding to the jars.
      Enjoy
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  4. Julie says

    August 10, 2020 at 3:10 pm

    Grape leaves were originally added to pickles to help keep them crisp. They are high in tannins, which inhibit the enzyme that makes pickles get soft over time. I haven't tried your recipe, but it looks easy and quick.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      August 10, 2020 at 7:03 pm

      Makes sense! Thanks for the info. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Deb says

    September 01, 2019 at 11:51 am

    5 stars
    I made six jars of these delicious pickles. I waited about 5 weeks and we opened the first jar. Delicious! It was gone in a day between my husband and I. I put them out for a family gathering and ended up using two jars at the gathering and then having my nephew begging me to let him take one home. So delicious and easy. Going to make some more and make about 10 jars this time because my sister asked me to make an extra large jar for extra pickle juice. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      September 01, 2019 at 12:04 pm

      Thank you so much for letting me know! These always disappear quickly in my house too! The hardest part is waiting a few weeks for them to pickle!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Homemade Dill Pickles - Recipe for making dill pickles one jar at a time or a dozen jars at a time.
The author holding a chicken.

I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

More about me →

Popular Recipes

  • A single muffin topped with a crumbly topping on a plate.
    Oatmeal Banana Muffins
  • Stacks of crispy golden fish on a white plate with a blue rim.
    Beer Battered Fish
  • Crispy fish fillets topped with lemon wedges.
    Pan Fried Walleye
  • A plate with baked pasta with cheese and tomatoes.
    Chicken Pasta Bake

Chicken Dinners

  • Strips of chicken, peppers and onions in a baked casserole.
    Chicken Fajita Casserole
  • Crispy chicken thighs on a white plate.
    Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
  • A chicken thigh with a sauce on a plate with rice and peas.
    Apricot Chicken
  • A plate filled with chicken legs covered in barbecue sauce.
    Baked BBQ Chicken Legs
  • Grilled chicken thighs on a white plate.
    Italian Dressing Chicken
  • A golden chicken thigh on a white plate with roasted potatoes and green beans.
    Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Featured In...

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

Footer

Homemade Dill Pickles - Recipe for making dill pickles one jar at a time or a dozen jars at a time.

↑ back to top

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Beyond the Chicken Coop LLC ®