Dill Pickles

AWESOME DILL PICKLES! First and last recipe I will use and they are crunchy! For added zip I added in a couple slices of jalepeno peppers (with seeds) and in each jar I also added a heaping 1/8th tsp each of dried mustard seed, dill seed, and celery seed. If you like really hot and spicy pickles add in a few dashes of red pepper flakes in addition to the jalepenos. I also believe there really is something to chilling the pickles before you start canning. The recipe states to wait 8 weeks before eating the pickles. I was so impatient the 1st time, I sampled them after 3 days. They were good, but the different spices had not blended and could be tasted separately. By waiting, the flavors combine and "mellow" into a more balanced (and great!) flavor. I waited 3 weeks before sampling another jar and they were definitely better than the ones I tried after 3 days. Pickles can be stored for a couple of years in a cool dry place like a pantry.

Wonderful! We make and can these every summer and always get rave reviews. I have found that picking the cucumbers when very small results in the crunchiest pickles. Also, you can substitute 1/3 Tbsp of dill seed for the dill head.

I found this recipe was very easy to follow and I did follow it to a tee but they still turned out pretty mushy. I made sure that I filled the ice regularly and kept the pickles really cold for just over three hours. Does anyone have any hints?

these are the best...and i dont do a hot bath with mine..it makes them soggy. And do not use a metal pan to boil your brin in. It causes cloudy water.

I have a couple of ?'s.#1 is the pickling salt, the same as pickling spice?. Second, i just can't find any dill head with the sprigs. Is it the same if i just use the fresh baby dill that is sold at the market. also how critical is it to have the dill head? please help me. I really want to try this recipe,I already have the cucumbers. I dont want them to start getting soft. thanks

I finally opened my first jar last night and they were delicious. I was hoping for super crispy pickles, but suspect the hot bath method might have made them a bit soggy? It was my first attempt at canning, too, and this was a great way to be introduced. Thanks, Sharon!

These pickles are great! It was really hard for me to wait the full two months to try them but I did and it was well worth the wait. I added some alum to the ice bath and then rinsed the pickles well before placing them in jars. I was really pleased with how crunchy the pickles turned out. I also placed the jarred pickles in a hot water bath for 10 minutes to seal the jars and it worked well.

This is THE pickle recipe, no doubt about it. You can also use this recipe as the base for pickling other stuff, like green beans. TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR PICKLES Unfortunately, Allrecipes doesn't have a great way to search through the comments or reply to people, so useful comments get buried, so most of these topics have been covered but people are asking so I'm bringing it to the top. Pickles too salty: this can happen if you leave the brine boiling for an extended period, boiling off water and leaving a high salt concentration. Pickles too mushy: you may have processed the jars in the boiling water too long. Many people successfully seal the jars by boiling them upside down with water just above the lid for 5-10 minutes. A 15 minute immersion boil is to keep the lawyers happy. OR you may have used cucumbers that were too large or old. They need to be small and young--think of the size you see in the pickle section of the supermarket. Try to get the greenest, wartiest ones of the bunch. OR enzymes from the blossom end of the cucumber may be sabotaging you. Cut 1/8" off the blossom end before placing in the jars. What's Pickling Salt? It is not the same as Pickling Spice. It is basically non-iodized salt. Kosher salt works really well. Iodized salt will make your pickles blue! Try to use a ceramic or Teflon coated pot for the brine; contact with metal clouds vinegar solutions, and you may not be able to tell later if the cloudiness indicates spoilage. Hope this helps!

I made these for the first time last year, they have a great taste and are exactly what I was looking for in a dill. I have a couple of questons. My pickles were not crispy at all. I grow my own cus, so I have to wait until I get a pretty good batch of them (this my be my cripsy problem)??

I have used this recipe for 3 years now. Each time they have come out crisp and delicious! When I printed the recipe long ago the recipe had a "review" from Sharon that stated she did not use a water bath, that the directions had been changed due to health regulations. So when I make them I stick with the "original" method. As per the original recipe, I invert the jars into boiling water (enough to cover rim) and boil for 10 minutes. I've never had a problem with jars sealing and the pickles are crisp. I do soak the cucumbers in VERY cold water with lots of ice for 2 hours. I then quarter the cucumbers before putting them into the jars. I also add a bit more vinegar and water to make up for my pouring abilities since I tend to spill some of the liquid. The first time I made these I was short on the liquid for the last jar. These pickles are the BEST!

So far I have canned about 20 cans of pickles using this recipe! We only let them sit about 2 weeks before my b/f HAD to taste one and my goodness they were delicious after the 2 weeks! So crisp and tastey! LOVED them. I couldn't find dill heads so just used the dill sprigs and its wonderful! Sometimes after I let the brine come to a boil, I turn it back down until I get my jars packed, then turn it up and come back to a boil and fill the jars. If you let it continue to boil, you will boil away too much liquid and end up with salty pickles.

I like the taste of these pickles but have had ongoing problems with getting them to seal and then stay sealed. The first batch, I loaded all the jars and then poured in boiling vinegar mixture. No jars sealed so I put them in a water bath 10 min. and they all sealed and stayed sealed for the whole year. They were very good and still crunchy. Tried another batch, seeing if I could get the vinegar mixture hotter, etc. and still the same results. This year, after reading other reviews, I kept the jars hot in the dishwasher, filled them with cukes one at a time and filled one at a time with vinegar left boiling on the stove, putting each cover on right away. They all sealed. I was relieved. Then, a few days later, I heard one of them pop. I looked and all the jars were cloudy with bacteria and had unsealed. I had been extremely careful washing, sterilizing, etc. I would definitely recommend just biting the bullet and sealing them with a water bath. After what happened to my latest batch without doing that, I question whether it's safe to do them without it. I think they still stay crunch enough doing this.

This is my third season canning sharon's recipe. 20 pounds yesterday (small ones), 21 quart jars, fresh dill (grocery stores can order it for you), not the same with the dill weed or dill seed and garlic. Alway crunchy, add some fresh ground pepper to some jars, yummy. Store in pantry, and hopefully they make it to Christmas. The do get even better the longer you let them sit. Enjoy!

I have a family recipe very similar to this for "salt dills", the only difference is reducing the vinegar in the brine to 2 cups and using a whole cup of canning salt. I also like to drop in a couple of red chiles. Extra hands in the kitchen also helps! We like to make chips & britneys (spears), and open the chips after a week. Divine! Aunt Bea would be jealous!

Everyone is correct- best dill pickle recipe ever. I've been using Sumner variety cukes and they are perfect with this recipe. A large picnic cooler works well for icing the cukes as it holds the cold for a long time. I sampled the pickles after 4 hours and they were sensational! I place a batch of wide mouth quart jars in the oven for about a half hour before canning, then take one out at a time as need it. Tops and lids go into boiling water though. Every person who's sampled these pickles has asked me for the recipe. Thanks Sharon.

I used this recipe last year and made 100 pounds of pickles. They all turned out perfect! My Dad said they were the best pickles he'd ever had and he was raised on a farm!! My 3 teenage boys and their friends ate them all within two months once they were ready. I did a lot of research on canning pickles. I used Sharon's original recipe and did not process them in a canner. I inverted them in a shallow pan of boiling water (just covering the rim) for 7 minutes. Every single jar sealed. This is how my Grandmother processed her pickles. I mixed things up and did some spicy, some garlic and others with a lot of different spices. I think the most important thing I came across when I was reading the entire internet was to use only good cuks...no spots and cut off the blossom tail. It makes the pickles mushy. My garlic also turned blue at first...then they looked normal. I'm going to do 150 pounds this year. Hopefully they'll last longer!!!

I grow my own pickling kukes and have been looking for a recipe like this, these have to be the BEST Homemade dill pickles I have ever tasted!!!crunchy!!! Easy too. You will love them! I added those little dried red peppers for a little more zip! I wanted to say THANK YOU to Sharon....Lola

NEED TO KNOW... a lot of recipes for canning pickles often leave out this important tip. If you don't want mushy pickles, you need to trim 1/4 off each end of the cucumbers. The end connecting to the vine has an enzyme that makes mushy pickles. Frustrates me when I see recipes leave this off, because its hard work..you want good pickles!

Can you use wedges instead of whole pickles?

I just made 2 1/2 batches of these pickles yesterday. In place of dill heads, I used 1 tsp of dill seed (upon reading other recommendations). 8 hours later we were just dying to try them out. They are REALLY good and crispy! Can't wait to eat them in 8 weeks!! YUM!! Made spears, whole dills, baby dills, and sandwich stackers.

This is an excellent version of a tried & true garlic dill pickle recipe. I have a couple of additional tips with respect to ensuring your pickles turn out crunchy. Well water (unsoftened, non-chlorinated - e.g., no city water), especially if mineral rich (think: rust in the tub) is excellent for guaranteeing crunch. Another great trick is to put a grape leaf in the bottom of the jar with some of your dill. These tips I got from my great grandmother. A rule of thumb at my house: We open our first jar at the Thanksgiving dinner table - it's much longer than the minimum cure time of 8 weeks, but they are that much better by then, or hotter if you've added pepper for heat.

My daughter,who is VERY particular about pickles said,"Mom, you could sell these,and make a lot of money!"Well,I'll never sell them,but a lot of my lucky friends enjoy them.They are the Best, THE BEST.Thanks for sharing.

Please, someone help!! I did exactly what the recipe said and my pickles came out smelling like the best pickle ever made, until I tried to pick one up. They were so soft and musshy. Does anyone recognize what happened??

very easy and delicious! added my own pickling spice, fresh ginger, hot peppers, onions and carrots. worked great and will make again!

We've been making this recipe for YEARS. It is number one is our book. Sharon, if you're reading this, contact me again! You're not responding to my emails anymore!

I tried making them as the recipe was written but processed them in the canner for 7 minutes. The flavor was great, but they were very soft. So, today, I retried them and made some changes. I spoke to a woman who has canned for probably 50 years and she told me both her and her daughter put grape leaves in the jars. Her daughter processes them in a canner, but she does not. She doesn't refrigerate them during storage. She said - they're pickles, right? Makes sense since that's how they are made in big pickle barrels. Grape leaves (any kind) have something in them that breaks down the enzyme that makes pickles soft. I also read many places on the internet to cut off the blossom end really well and cut or scrape off any remaining blossom stub. This supposedly is the source for the enzyme that makes the pickles soft......4 months later, I have been using a batch that I didn't water bath. They are AWESOME! and haven't had problems with them spoiling. DON'T water bath them. Turn jars upside down if you have problem getting them to seal.

I have just found this recipe again. YEA! My daughter and I canned these pickles last fall and my family has requested them for next season. They want us to make as many as possible. Comments are "they are better than any brand that I have purchased." A beginner could have success with this 5 STAR RECIPE! MAY I GIVE THIS YEARS REVIEW. THEY NEVER FAIL. I BOUGHT A 1/2 A BUSHEL OF CUCS FROM THE LOCAL FARMERS MARKET AND I MADE 20 QTS. THEY TURNED OUT SOOOO CRISPY. IT HAS TO BE THE ICE COLD CUCS THAT DO IT. I AM TEMPTED TO ORDER MORE CUCS. THEY WILL GO FAST. I HOT WATER BATH FOR 5 MINS AND ALL SEALED WITHOUT SOGGINESS TO THE PICKLES. "I" NEED TO DO THIS TO INSURE A GOOD SEAL. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PERFECT PICKLE!!!!!

I still haven't tasted them since I did it a couple of weekends ago. I did about 45 jars and everyone sealed. I used the wide mouth jars and didn't have any issue with them sealing. I also make fresh tomato sauce and don't have problems canning those, so I thought I would share what I do. -I filled the pickles in the jar with the rest of the spices & garlic. I jammed it as much as possible. -I put the thin lids in boiling water when the brine was close to a boil. -Once the brine came to a boil my wife filled the jar I made sure there was nothing on the rim of the jar, if there was I used a paper towel to wipe clean. Immediately after I took a thin lid out of the boiling water and put it on and then used the spin cap and tightened it as much as possible and turned the jar upside down. -Once I finished all the jars, I laid a blanket over the jars to keep them worm longer. After about 12 hours, I returned them to the case not upside down anymore. This is how I can my tomato sauce too. I have been doing that for 3 years and never had a problem with anything not sealing properly. I will write a review when I actually taste the pickles...I have high hopes.

HEAVEN - I AM IN DILL PICKLE HEAVEN!!!!!! Oh My Word - these truly ARE the BEST Dill Pickles that have ever crossed my lips. They're crispy, they're crunchy, a delcious delicacy & everything anyone could want in a perfect Dill Pickle. Definitely better than any store-bought. OK - so cheated & snuck a taste 2 days after they were canned & stuck that jar in the refrig to snack on. Got worried cause I cut the salt back to about 1/2 {per a reviewers comments about being a bit to salty} and then read sometimes that too little salt can make your pickles mushy. They are perfect! Plan to leave the rest alone until they've had time to develop their full-bodied flavor. Yummm - NOW I want to run & make MORE! They're so good unable to imagine going through the winter without being fully stocked! Thank You Sharon for this WONDERFUL RECIPE. Brings back memories of my favorite aunts dill pickles I always loved. Unfortunately she never shared hre recipe with me. FORTUNATELY for everyone - YOU DID! Thank You, Thank You, Thank YOU!

Fantastic recipe for those who may be a bit nervous about canning. I soaked in bucket w/ a ice container in the middle, topped with water and sat in fridge for about 4 hours. I just made 20 qts of whole & spears, and 14 qts of sliced. I stuffed the garlic, dill, peppers of choice, and mustard seed, added cukes, topped with the dill again & a grape leaf. Poured boiling vinegar/water/salt solution into jars, sealed with the lid & ring that had been preparing in hot (not boiling) water, and inverted onto a towel on the table. We did the process outside on the campstove burner, therefore left the jars outside all night upside down. In the morning, all jars had sealed and I couldn't stand it either, I only waited 2 days before sampling! OMG! My excuse was that I didn't want to store all those jars if they were going to be yucky-lol! They are wonderful, crisp, dilly, and so I hid the open jar in the back of the fridge to continue melding the flavors. Plus to hide from hubby, haha! Great recipe, I will share with many others.

I am very very pleased with this recipe. It was easy enough to make every other day as I picked buckets from my garden. Plus, after exhausted research, this is the first dill pickle recipe I've ever made that turned out actually appealing. I did some tweaking though. I soaked in ice water, then cut about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off the blossom ends. I had a various assortment of cucumber sizes to work with so some jars were made with whole cucumbers, some were made with halves, or quarters of the larger cucumbers. What I found out, is that the skin causes the crunch...so the more skin, the crunchier they are. So, my whole pickles are crunchier than my quarters, but for our family, the halves are perfect. Crunch but easy to eat. I seasoned as the recipe called for and water bathed them for only 6-8 minutes instead of 15. All my jars sealed and I figure a little water bathing is safer than none. Plus, to my delight, after waiting only 2-3 weeks my pickles were wonderfully seasoned and nice and crunchy. My husband, a huge fan of the Clausen Brand refrigerated Kosher Dill Pickles, was thoroughly pleased with their flavor and crispness. He actually rated them BETTER than Clausens and the best pickle he's ever had! It's a clean tasting pickle with no funny aftertaste. Thanks a bunch to the submitter! I'll never use another Dill pickle recipe.

I just made these and my family sampled one jar due to it not sealing. These were great even after one day! I had so much fun canning that I'm going to go out and get more jars! BTW-just make sure that your brine doesn't boil down. Your pickles will be too salty if/when that happens.

Best pickle recipe ever. I think the dill heads (seeded dill) is best, but in a pinch baby dill + a dash of dill seeds will do. Hope I don't get in trouble for this comment but, I have noticed a lot of "mushy pickle results" lately. My suggetion is to "cold can". A hot water bath is what the FDA insists be required for food safety, but a responsible canner or one that can use a computer to find out how to cold can might want to use. That is what the author's original recipe stated. That and the cold water ice bath are the key to a scrumptious pickle. My neices and nephews ask for them every summer. What more could you ask for in recipe? The only thing I wish to add for all those who wish to not be 100% purist is to half the white vinegar w/rice wine vinegar. It is in the vinegar isle of the grocery store and it usually Japanese. The flavor is a little bit smoother, but still has that garlic bite. Love it. Give it try and please comment. This is what my family LOVES!

Oven? I didn't read any direction that said use the oven. These are excellent!! My garden is producing 2 foot long cukes (no kidding) and what a better way to use them up!! I added peppercorns to the jars before sealing. Of course being as impatient as I am, I opened one after 2 weeks, and they are delicious and crispy. I have also used this recipe for pickled cauliflower and received rave reviews!! Thanks so much Sharon 10 stars!!

Can someone tell me what the original recipe was? These were great, but if they were EVEN BETTER before....I just don't know how to do it without a hot water bath.

great recipe, and the top reviews really make it shine. To have crisper pickles, use LOTS of ice and keep replenishing, but ALSO weigh the pickles down in the sink with something heavy. this will ensure that they don't float, which is a big cause of soft pickles since they don't benefit from the cold bath as much.

I have never attempted pickle making before. I tried this recipe and have been waiting to open a jar. I thought you had to wait 8 weeks to try them. But I recently read that someone ate them 2 days later! Did I do something wrong or read the recipe wrong? Or are you supposed to eat them WITHIN 8 weeks? If someone can tell me, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

To all those who did not process your jars in the hot water bath and the jars came unsealed. The purpose for the hot water bath is to seal the jars. The rubber gasket in the lid has to get really hot before it can form a seal on the rim of the jar. As the jar cools the air inside the jar compresses and pulls the lid tight thereby forming a seal.

First, this is great recipe. I've been using it a couple of years and have never had a jar go bad or taste bad. In reading some of the reviews I see people complaining about soft pickles. So, I wanted to point out a couple items. (These items are also listed in older reviews.) 1. You need to use pickling cucumbers. The ones you buy in a grocery store ARE NOT pickling cucumbers. Go to a farmers market and order you cucumbers. 2. Also cut off 1/8" of the blossom end of the cucumber. The enzymes located there can cause soft pickles. You can leave a short piece of vine at the other end. Do this even if you are quartering the cucumbers. 3. The hot bath / processing time is way to long. (Required by lawyers:) Read through some of the older reviews about processing times. 4. Use only pickling salt. Period! Again this is a great recipe. I add additional items to mine to my own taste. But make this recipe once (you'll love them), then adjust to get your own "specialty pickles"!

WOW!!! These are the best pickles I have ever had. I can't stop eating them. They are super easy to make. The hardest part is waiting a few months to eat them, but boy are they worth it! So crunchy and yummy! Thanks for the advice from other users about the water bath. The first batch I made I did process them in a water bath for 5 minutes and they were fine. With the second I just followed the directions with hot canning supplies and boiling brine and skipped the water bath - they sealed just fine. I also made spears and chips. The spears were really crunchy and the chips were a little less crunchy, but still fantastic. My mom actually prefers the chips. :) Thanks for a FANTASTIC recipe. I'll be making these every year with our huge crop of cucumbers from our garden!

August 2009-I made these again, this time I made 7 quarts. After filling jars with garlic dill and cucumbers I mixed the brine solution in a large bowl and dipped in a large measuring cup, put this in the microwave till boiling and filled one jar, lidded and ringed it then inverted on a towel. I did this for each of the 7 quart jars. Every one sealed the same night. No metal pan and brine is always at a full boil. July 2009 I made these two days ago using cold canning method. I added 3/4 tsps. per pint of Pickle Crisp by Ball(box says it is calcium chloride and will improve crispness of pickles). 2 of 7 pints sealed immediately. I removed the rings and lids from the other 5 and one by one I nuked each pint for 3 minutes on high. Wiped the rims,replaced the lids and rings and inverted. Several hours later I checked them and all had sealed. The next evening I checked them all again and 1 had unsealed. Surprisingly it was one of the original two that had sealed so quickly. So I had to taste them and even after only 48 hours I was amazed at how crispy and delicious they were. WOW! I am keeping an eye on the others before I put them into storage because another reviewer said two weeks after canning she had a bunch of jars come unsealed. I am impressed with the ease of this canning method but even more so by the taste. It will be interesting to taste them over the weeks as they continue to develop. I can't wait until I can get to the next farmer's market to buy more cucumbers and I

Yum! These are super easy! If you're cutting the cucumbers into spears I'd recommend cutting and then soaking in ice water. Also, I ran out of dill heads. 1 teaspoon of dill seed is equal to one dill head. It's not as pretty but tastes as good! My kitchen is small and hard to maneuver around with everything so I ended up bringing the brine to a boil and then taking it off the heat while I packed the jars with the cucumbers. My pickles are still quite crunchy. I also am paranoid so I did do a quick water bath to seal but didn't keep them in more than five minutes and they're still crunchy. Thanks for a great recipe! It's a keeper!

this recipe is awesome,I also add 2 or 3 sliced carrots, and 2 sliced banana peppers to my pickles, it makes for a pretty jar and a great spicy pickle, but not to hot.

THIS IS THE BEST RECIPE! We grow a lot of cukes in our garden and I tried this recipe last year. Ended up having to do another batch. I think we ended up with 16 large jars of pickles. They are so crispy and delicious. I experimented a little and added some fresh jalapenos from our garden to a few jars and they, too, were awesome. In fact, my brother ate the jalepenos that we added to the pickles and suggested we try pickling jalapenos so we'll be doing that this year. THIS IS A KEEPER!

WARNING**DO NOT USE WIDE MOUTH JARS**Checking the jars after 3 weeks, I found 5 WM Pints had unsealed! I think it's due to the wider lids. Will use reg.jars next time.** Made these when Sharon first posted the original recipe and they were PERFECT! Lost the recipe, came back and found it changed. Made them again the processed way and they were tasty but MUSHY! (Husband still loved them...yakkk) Checked back again to see everyone else with the same complaint, wanting the "original" recipe. Read all the reviews and tried again today, using the cold pack process. Using wide mouth PINT jars while majority are using Qts. Wonder that and if packing loose or tight is a factor in sealing? Also, came back from a trail ride yesterday with vines of grape leaves tied to my saddle. Will add them to but not sure just how many/what sizes leaves to put in jar. Tons of fresh dill at peak in the garden along with fresh cukes. Garlic will be minced & fresh ground pepper added. So off to slice and ice... Aug.23, 2009 - UPDATE from 8-12-09 Post...Pickles were excellent! THE BEST but........all the wide mouth pint jars did not seal :( So I took the advice to fill a skillet with water, bring to a boil and place the jars in, up-side down so the water covered the metal parts and boiled for 5 minutes. Remove

This was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I followed all the instructions, except I used dried dill weed (1 T. per 1 quart jar) and added 1/4 c. of sugar to the brine. I also did the boiling water bath, since I want them to last for a long time. I opened a jar today and they are SO delicious and CRISPY! Great Recipe! :)

These are so easy to make. I didn't see a yield anywhere on the amount of liquid, but it was enough for 6 quarts of pickles. Had some extra, not sure if it would have done 7 or not, but I ran out of small cucumbers. I turned the jars upside down for about 10 minutes right after I canned them, and they sealed perfectly. Just make sure the ring is on toght!

Turned out great! Except when canning them you don't need the 20 minute bath. If you have a mason jar then just keep them in the boiling water (lids included) until your brine is ready. Then take out the jars, fill them accordingly and seal it with the hot lid. This will seal them without the extra time in the boiling water!

I cannot find pickling salt in our area and replaced it with Kosher Salt (at the recommedation of our cooking store). We opened a can after one week and they're TOO SALTY.

These pickles were great. I tried them after three weeks and they were just as good if not better than store bought dill pickles. I followed some of the reviews. I soaked my pickles in ice cold water for about seven hours, which helped them maintain there crunchyness. I also added a little more garlic and dill than the recipe called for. In addition I did not use the traditional canning technique because I had read that by giving the canned pickles a water bath they would come out soft. Instead I stored the pickles in the refrigerator. In the past I have stored pickles in the refrigerator for months and I have never had a problem with them spoiling. What I really liked about these pickles is that I know what my family is eating. There are no perservatives or additives just natural ingredients. I will make these pickels again.

Ok, a little help here please... I'm not really willing to go off of everyone's anecdotal evidence that I probably won't get botulism and die if I don't follow the USDA recommended canning method, because it is JUST anecdotal evidence, and the USDA put that step in because just enough people got sick to make them think twice about it. So I inverted the jars and filled the pot with enough water to go about halfway up the jars, boiled it for 15 minutes. Now what? Do I leave them inverted until they cool? Do I flip them right side up? Do I stick them in the fridge? When I took them out of the pot of water, they started fizzling; I'm not sure if air was coming out or going in. The bottom of the package that the jars came in said don't boil the lids & leave them rightside up after filling, and don't continue to tighten the bands after the initial tightening. I'm reading the exact opposite on all three points on this website. Yeah, I want crisp pickles, but I more want to make sure they seal, which they don't seem to be doing. How do I ensure that they seal? This is my first attempt at canning, so any advice is very much appreciated. They smell & look awesome, though; I put cauliflower, cucumber & green beans in each jar. I can't wait to try them; I just hope I don't have to eat them all in the next three days if they don't seal!

the best pickles. my hubby doesn't like home canned pickles and he loved these

I followed the recipe but didn't process the pickles. They all sealed and two weeks later all the lids are unsealing and the pickles are spoiling. I am so upset... they so good that I made two batches and I have had to throw away 10 quarts of pickles. I will try again but will follow the instructions to process them.

I put up 4 jars of pickle spears and a jar of green beans this past weekend, using this recipe. I'm putting up 4 more lbs. of cukes and another 2lbs. of green beans today. We are waiting another week to try the pickles, but the green beans are FABULOUS, crispy and flavorful. I kept everything iced for about 6 hours, so don't know if that made a difference or not. The brine is a perfect balance of salty-sour. For 1 pint jar of green beans, I added a 1/4 tsp of pickling spice, 1/8 tsp crushed red chile (HINT: get packs of this when you order pizza, that way you always have fresh crushed chile on hand - It seems to me that chile looses its flavor quickly once you open it's container), three sliced cloves of garlic, 2 sprigs of fresh dill and 1/2 tsp dill seed. I kept the brine at a simmer and pulled the jars from hot water just berfore filling, and every thing sealed just fine.

This is the best recipe for dill pickles I have ever tried. My family really loves them. I am going to make another batch because I know they will not last long around my house.

These are great. I actually made these a couple of days ago. I used mini seedless cucumbers and sliced some lengthwise and some in circles. I couldn't find fresh dill head so I only put the fresh sprigs in. I did add onion slices to the jar as well. Instead of doing the water bath, I inverted the jars and put a towel over them. The next morning all the jars had sealed except two. Those I put in the refrigerator and tried out today. They were delish after only a day or so! I can't wait for the others I put in the pantry. This is so easy to do for a first timer!

I just opened the first jar. These are absolutely the best dill pickles I have ever eaten. There is only one problem--I didn't make enough! They disappear in a flash! I'm headed to the farmers' market for more cucumbers while there is still time. Thanks for this perfect recipe.

We have been trying to get back to our original pickle recipe and have tried many in that process. These are definitely the best we have made in a very long time. We added grape leaves, some hot pepper, and mustard seed to some of the jars. Fabulous.

I didn't know the difference between a dill head and a dill sprig, so I just bought a bunch of dill sprigs and stuffed them in the jars. I added banana peppers and red pepper flakes to some of the jars. I used kosher salt because I couldn't find pickling. Also, I didn't do the final sterilizing step. I opened the first jar just two weeks after I made the recipe and they were, according to my partner, very good. I'm not big on pickles, but he ate the whole jar within a few days, which I take as a sign that they're pretty delish!

This is my first time canning anything ,so for me this recipe was great, it was simple and easy to follow. i cant wait to try them dill's (3 weeks to go)i have one ?, i really like garlic and made some of the dill's with more garlic than called for and noticed that some of the garlic turned blue.

Just made 27 jars and these pickles are amazing. I experimented with a teaspoon of hot crushed peppers in some jars, and a sliced jalapeno in other jars. Both added a "zing" and tasted fantastic! Tried them just after two weeks - seemed ready!

This is a delicious recipe! If you don't do the boiling water bath (which I don't do) make sure you keep the pickels in the fridge. Otherwise they will spoil quickly. As for spears, yes they work very well. I always buy giant cumumbers to use and cut them in half and then in spears.

HELP !! Why is it when I follow this exact recipe, my pickles are soft? Is there a difference in timing when I am making baby dills (very small) I am so frustrated! 2 batches of 15 jars - lost :(

Great recipe.To keep the pickles firm,add a grape leaf,or 2to3 green grapes to each jar,the grape leaf is the best. I have had pickles for 3 years without getting mushy.

These had great flavor, but were not crispy AT ALL. I definitely soaked the cucumbers in the ice water just like it said, but I think water-bathing them for as long as the recipe says is way too long. I may use this recipe again, but I will water bath for a much shorter time. I am going to have to throw the whole batch out because no one will eat them. :(

This is the first time I have ever made pickles, and I looked at a ton of recipes before I chose this one. I followed the recipe exactly in terms of water/vinegar/salt, but "doctored" up some of the jars with extra garlic, some onions, some with jalapenos, a couple with a red chili pepper, and some just as the recipe called for. I entered a pint of them in our local county fair on a whim, thinking no way would a first attempt win anything. I won first! :) Great recipe that I will use again next year.

My Mother used to love tiny whole dill pickles and we often made several jars of those from her recipe. We never used the water bath and as long as the jar stays sealed the pickles will keep on the shelf. Be sure to leave enough "head space" so that the jar has room to seal. One thing that we found is using water that doesn't have chlorine helps keep the pickles crisp....so if you know someone on well water beg a few gallons from her. My Grandchildren always look forward to a day of canning pickles and we do the cucumber washing outdoors so they can splash as much as they like.:) They pack their own jars and add garlic to their taste and label with the name of the one who packed that jar.

We got a deal on a crate of pickling cucumbers and huge bags of fresh dill and garlic. We canned 48 quart jars and a few as refrigerator pickles. This recipe is perfect - only change was we added a couple of hot peppers to each jar. One thing to remember it to cut a slice off the blossom ends so pickles stay crisp. Enzymes in this part of the cuke causes softness over time. Simple and straightforward recipe - if you never canned pickles before then this is a great place to start.

This recipe is the best. Its the second time we've pickled using it. We did 79 quarts out of 2 bushels of pickling cukes. Its hard having to wait a couple months to try them again. We did some with 4 cloves of garlic, crushed the cloves, dill , and a few with some jalepeno slices. We used the ice in a cooler to store and wash the cukes as we went along. Keeping them on ice is the trick.

First time doing pickles, WOW!!! Can't keep my girls out of them! Their in their 20's. Did 60 quarts plus a few smaller jars, all in one day! Had an assembly line going, husband helped with the garlic, and getting more jars...

very tasty and crunchy. i did some short "pickling" cucumbers and some spears from marketmore (slicing type) cucumbers. the pickling cukes came out crispier but both were good.

These are very good. Nice and crunchy, but mine were not "dilly" enough for me.

I just opened a jar of these after waiting 8 weeks. They are very very good. Really crunchy & not too salty like some of the store bought brands. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I made them exactly to recipe. Next year I might add some hot pepper flakes.

These pickles are wonderful! I did not feel the liquid would be hot enough to seal the jars, so I microwaved each jar for 2 minutes then I cleaned the rim and put the lid and ring on. I left the jars upside down until they were cool....All my jars sealed. It was not bad adding this extra step. I did not want to process them. Each jar microwaved while I prepared the next jar.

This recipe is so delicious!!! This is my first time making dill pickles and I could not wait for 8 weeks either, after about 3 days we tasted them and they are delicious. I do suggest you read the other comments. I chopped the garlic and substituted the head of dill weed for dill seed. Turned out wonderful.

I sligthly bungled this recipe on my first time making pickles-- (used pint jars instead of quarts and still processed the 15 minutes, and my pickling cukes were on the ripe side) They still turned out reasonably good! They are fairly crisp and the taste is great. These things I think helped: I cut off the blossom end completely (1/4 inch or more) and scrubbed each one very well with terry cloth wash cloth. Also, I kept my jars hot in a 250 degree oven. They had a 5 hour bath in a scrubbed cooler with two bags of commercial ice and a gallon or so of water. They were COLD! I think with them being that cold, you need to hot water bathe them a bit because they cold cukes will cool down your hot brine a bit too much to get a good seal. Checked with my very experienced neighbor...she swears by a 5 minute very strong boiling bath (starting with time they reach a boil again after putting them in). Her pickles are always crunchy and she has never made anyone sick! Good luck and try to buy local!

Fantastic! I skimped on the garlic because I thought that 2 cloves per jar would be too much. Now I regret it. My pickles turned out with a good bit of garlic taste just not as much as I like. But I sure can't fault the recipe for that! I'll be making these pickles every summer now. Maybe mincing the garlic up instead of halving the cloves. Thanks much. My friends won't stop hounding me for pickles! ALSO! If you add a single sliced jalapeno with seeds per jar you wind up with the BEST spicy dill pickles I've ever had in my life! Unbelievable! I'll never change this recipe!

Always my ONLY recipe to use when canning - I use the ice bath for 6 Hours when I can, but even just 2 hrs makes 100% difference with regards to crispness. I put 1/4 tsp of mustard seed and 1/2 a Jalapeno in each jar also (these will get spicier the longer they are stored :) Like most here my water bath time is way shorter -- usually about 8 minutes for me :) ... 95% usually seal by the next morning (and I hear that lovely pop in about half of the jars within the first hour, even ! ) Any that do not seal by morning, go right in the Fridge as Refrigerator pickles, which are the only true way to get that Claussen crisp -- however this canned recipe with the short water bath are the crispiest I've ever had, next to refrigerator pickles!!

Simple and delicious...my family declared these better than any other pickle they've had (and we usually buy good pickles!).

I made these last year and they were perfect and crunchy....this year I just bought 2 doz new wide mouth jars and made 22 jars yesterday.

This is the recipe my grandmother has handed down in our family, without the water bath step. Our pickles are always crunchy. The one difference is we add a clove or two of garlic to make garlic dill pickles. It's a great and easy recipe.

These are the best dill pickles I have ever made! Can't wait to make them again! EXCELLENT! Soaking the cukes in ice water for at least 2 hours makes sure they are super crunchy when you open the jar . . . even a year later!

These are SO good! I soaked my cukes in a cooler with ice and a bit of alum for about 5 hours. I also cut them in spears. I did not put them in a hot water bath... I packed my pickles in hot jars and put hot brine over them and used hot lids after adjusting the 2 peice lids I turned them upside down for 24 hours, every jar sealed. I couldnt wait the full 8 weeks I had to try one after only 24 hours... they were so good already!! nice and crunchy! I will be making these again!!!

Thank you, Sharon, for giving readers the detailed process. I needed the information about how to pack the jars. I have been experimenting with ways to increase the crispness. I'm curious about the updated USDA requirement of the water bath. (My grandmother did not do that for pickles). The only additional tip I would add, and it may not be critical, is to run a plastic knife or spatula around the filled jar to remove air bubbles before the canning. (Only repeated instructions I've been given). Do we know if this is necessary?

This recipe is simply the best I've ever tried!! I tried this recipe for the first time last year & gave away the jars as Christmas presents. Now everyone is requesting these pickles for Christmas again this year! Thank you, Sharon, for an awesome easy-to-make recipe!

This is the best pickle recipe ever. The key to fantastic pickles are to buy them small and chill them on ice for 4+ hours (I prefer 6 or 8). Everyone loves these pickles and I can never make enough!

These are the best! I have tried and tried but have never been able to find a recipe that has worked for me until now. I added a bit more garlic and I did add a couple of red chil peppers for the heat to each jar. Great Recipe!

My first pickles!! This was about as easy as it gets. I used an ice chest to soak pickles. Works great and keeps the ice for a long time. I added a couple of big chunks of ice with my cubes.

This recipe is not only logical and easy to make, it is also delightful on the tongue. A friend at work swore I am keeping her grandmother in the guest room.

I did four quarts Aug. 14 (10 days ago),and this morning I noticed one of the seals was popped up. I put the other three in the refrigerator, but I do not know if they will be safe to eat since one has lost its seal. Does anyone know if these will be safe in the refrigerator? I have checked every day and hope if kept in the frig, the other three will be safe to eat. I noticed some air bubbles when I moved them. Is this an indicator that they, too, will go bad? I have not tasted them yet, but I had to put a rating to post this...

This is a great recipe and so easy to do. I have had more people want this recipe and I always say I found it on allrecipes and it was submitted by Sharon Howard. Ithink the people who post the recipes should get the credit. Thanks Sharon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is finally like the pickles that my grandmother used to make. The brine mixture is the same. I couldn't wait to taste so I sampled some at 1 wk. Excellent!! I did cold pack method, which has worked for me in the past. Just made sure my jars, lids and brine were hot when packing. Agree with another poster that small pickles are crunchier. Thanks again.

This is definatly a keeper recipe... I have never canned before, and it was easy (except I thought the lids sealed instantly, and had to get advice from my mother LOL) We broke into first jar in 1 week and they tasted great!!!! I will definatly have more cuke in the garden next year so I can make a ton more... I did use dill seed for the bottom of jar then topped with fresh dill weed...

I have had to buy extra boxes of Ball jars to keep up with family and friends requests for these bad boys! If you boil the garlic with the solution, the garlic wont turn that icky green color. After filling the jars with the water/salt/vinegar, flip them upside immediately and let them seal. If the top does not move at all when pressed, it sealed. I always refrigerate them, and start eating them after 1-2 days...they never last a month. Sharon you are my our pickle hero!

This is an awesome dill pickle recipe!! I have looked and looked for a CRISP dill pickle recipe and now I will not have to look any longer. Followed the recipe exactly as written and had no problems. Thanks for sharing Sharon!

I do not have any canning jars so I cleaned off a huge jar with anti-microbial dish soap and ran extremely hot water on it for 10 minutes. I packed the jar with the pickles and spices and filled them with the brine...then I refrigerated it. Could not resist the temptation and tried the pickles after 24 hours... Three days later, 7 pounds of pickles are gone and I'm making more today!

This is the best dill pickle recipe I've ever tried. The pickles come out crisp and really good!

mmmmmm these turned out SO yummy. I had a dickens of a time finding "heads of dill" though so I bought the baby dill and also added 1/4 tsp dried dill seeds to each jar. I also cold canned them and didn't have any that "unsealed". The trick I use is to invert them for an hour or so. That way the rubber seal on the lid gets good and hot and the jars seal better.

Excellent recipe. I used however for pickled Turnips. I skiped the soaking for a crisp pickle especially with turnips. Also for turnips, if you want to try it, add few slices of Beets on top before sealing. This will add a pink color to the white turnips. Very tasty. Goes good with Greek Salads and Hummus.