How to Make Pickles

Well I did it. I made my first batch of canned pickles last night and they look pretty darn good. I was actually pretty surprised at the easiness of the whole process. 

I got the recipe from my cousin, Theresa. 

Ingredients:

Dill Seed - 1 tsp per pint jar (2 tsp for quart jar)

Garlic - 1 clover per pint jar (2 cloves for quart jar)

Cucumbers - Enough to fill your jars - I used the pickling cucumbers from my garden.

Brine:

2 cups vinegar

4 cups water

3 TBSP Pickling Salt

(I doubled all of this because I was making 8 pints.)

Put 1 tsp of dill seed and 1 clove of garlic in each pint jar. Then fill with cucumbers. They can be sliced, speared or whole. However, you prefer really.

For the Brine you just boil the vinegar, water and pickling salt for a few minutes and then pour it over the cucumbers, in the jars, and seal the jars. 

Lastly, put the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove (carefully) and let cool. Make sure all your lids seal and then store for 2 weeks before opening so the flavors can really marinate. 

For a spicier version just slice a jalepeno in half and add it to a jar before adding the brine. 

Now I just have to be patient and wait the two weeks before I can open and test them out! I will let you know when I do:)

Maybe I should get pregnant now that we have a pickle surplus??

Let me know if you have any questions about any of this or the canning process itself. I promise it's a lot easier than it sounds:)