HOW TO CAN PICKLES
It is important to remember with your canning jars is you can always reuse lids and jars; however, you
cannot reuse seals as this will compromise your shelf life. Canning jars should be washed with hot soapy
water and be submerged into a water bath canner for 10 minutes at boiling point to make sure it is
sanitized inside and outside. Once jars have been sanitized and boiled, you will use the canning tongs to
remove water from the jars and place them onto a heat-proof surface to be ready for packing your
cucumbers. As always, wash your produce prior to beginning this tutorial in order to remove any
pesticides, dirt, or residue that may be left behind on the products that can compromise your food safety
or the seal on the jars.
In this simple tutorial, you will learn how to can your own dill pickles at home, and with the use of our free equipment rental available here. The number of cucumbers needed for this recipe will vary depending on the amount of supply you are wanting. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Cucumbers
Kosher dill pickles pre-mix seasoning
White distilled vinegar
Equipment:
Canning jars with lids and seal
Canning utensils (click here for reference on our canning tools blog)
Kitchen knife
Cutting board
Large pot
Water bath canner (available with our free rental equipment program)
Large bowl
Ladle
Pickle packer (optional)
Instructions:
After your produce is clean and dry, begin thinly slicing your cucumbers and place them into a large bowl
Make sure to dispose of the ends of the cucumbers as they will not be used
Prepare your brine by following the instructions on the back of the Kosher dill pickle seasoning
7 1/3 cups of white distilled vinegar
3 1/3 cups of water
Bring to a slow boil in a large pot for 5-10 minutes while granules dissolve
Place your sanitized jars near your large bowl of cucumbers and begin packing them into the jars
Cucumbers should be packed as tight as possible into the jars
Can use pickle packer if needed
Use a funnel from your canning kit and place it on top of the jar to pour the brine into your packed cucumbers
Do not want to overfill the jar
1-inch headspace from top
Use the bubble remover and begin poking down the sides of the jar to remove any air pockets
Help to bring the brine to bottom
Removes any bacteria
Clean off the rim of the lid with a paper towel and white distilled vinegar to remove excess juice and bacteria
Place lid on the jar
Begin placing your jars into the water bath canner using your canning utensils
Boiled for 15 minutes
After the jars have been boiling for 15 minutes, remove the jars and let them set out for 24 hours to make sure they have a solid seal
If the seal happens to lift, you want to either eat it immediately after or dispose of the product