Dill Pickle Recipe

Overhead of a white bowl filled with whole dill pickles on a wooden table.

5 from 1 vote

Learn how to make delicious homemade dill pickles with this easy canning recipe. Perfect for snacking or adding to sandwiches, these pickles are a must-try for pickle lovers.

Adapted from Ball Canning

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Canning Recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings: pint or 3 quart jars

Calories: 178kcal

Author: Cassie Johnston

Ingredients

8 pounds room temperature pickling cucumbers see notes
¾ cup sugar
½ cup pickling salt
4 cups white vinegar
4 cups water
3 tablespoons pickling spice see notes
Fresh dill flower/seed head one per jar
Calcium chloride granules AKA: Pickle Crisp, optional (see notes)

Instructions

Prepare canner, jars, and lids for canning.
Wash 8 pounds room temperature pickling cucumbers well, and then trim off at least 1/16” from each end of the cucumber. Slice the cucumber into your desired form—spears, slices, or leave whole.
In a large saucepan, combine the ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup pickling salt, 4 cups white vinegar, 4 cups water, and 3 tablespoons pickling spice. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Pack cucumbers into a hot jar, leaving ½-inch headspace. Put one Fresh dill flower/seed head on top of the cucumbers, followed by ⅛ teaspoon of Calcium chloride granules(for pints) or ¼ teaspoon (for quarts), if using.
Ladle the hot pickling liquid over the cucumbers, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles, clean jar rim, and attach lid until fingertip tight. Repeat with remaining jars.
Process pint or quart jars in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, remove cover, and let jars cool in the water for 5 minutes. Then remove jars from the canner, and allow to cool for 12 hours before checking the seal—do not retighten any loose rings. Check for proper seal, then label and store the jars.

Notes

Pickling cucumbers (sometimes just sold as “pickles” at farm stands) are fresh cucumbers that are smaller in size—typically 4-6 inches in length. The smaller size ensures the seeds inside the cucumbers are small and that the pickles are small enough to fit in standard-size canning jars.
If you store your cucumbers in the fridge, make sure to bring them up to room temperature before packing them into the hot jars to avoid jar breakage.
You can buy premade pickling spice anywhere you can buy canning supplies, but if you want to make your own here’s how: combine 1 broken cinnamon stick, 5 crushed bay leaves, 2 tablespoons mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon whole allspice, 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon dill seeds, 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, 0-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (to taste), and 1 teaspoon whole cloves in a bowl, and mix until well combined.
Calcium chloride (AKA Pickle Crisp) is an additive to ensure pickles stay crisp during the preserving process. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it is an easy failsafe to make sure you get good pickles. You can buy it anywhere you get canning supplies.
To make Kosher Dills: add 1 peeled clove of garlic and 1 hot red pepper to each jar when you add the dill head.

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