Learn the best secrets and tips for crispy and crunchy pickles. I’ve read about dozens of different theories for how to keep cucumbers crispy when pickling them, and I sorted through them, tried most of them, and gathered up the best of the best tips for crunchy pickles in this post.
Ain’t nobody likes a mushy pickle…
It’s a problem that’s plagued pickle-makers for centuries: how do you find a pickle recipe that results in perfectly crisp cucumbers with that highly sought-after ‘crunch’ when you take a bite?
In the past when I’d go to make my homemade pickles, Prairie Husband would always cautiously raise an eyebrow and say in this questioning tone of voice, “They’re gonna be crunchy pickles, right?”
To which I respond, “Er, sure honey… you bet.” And in my head, all I was thinking was, “Why are my homemade pickles not crunchy?”
Honestly, it took me quite a while to figure out how to get consistently crunchy pickles– I tried all sorts of things, and had mixed results. And like with anything else, if you talk to a dozen different people, you’ll get a dozen different answers.
In my quest for the ultimate crunchy pickle recipe, I’ve collected a number of little tricks, so I decided to compile a list. Keep in mind you don’t have to use ALL of them though- and the first two ideas are the ones that make the most difference… At least in my humble opinion. Those first two tips have helped me get the best crunchy dill pickles.
5 Secrets for Crispy and Crunchy Pickles
1. Use small, firm cucumbers.
This is, hands-down, the most important! If you start with a big ol’ soft cucumber, you’ll end up with big ol’ soft pickles. Always, always select the smallest, most firm cucumbers and leave the big soft ones out of the pickle jar. It’s a natural law of sorts– if you are using ginormous, overgrown cukes for your pickles, nothing will turn them crunchy… No matter how creative you get or how many prayers you say while they are in the water bath canner.
Also, make sure you are using the best varieties of cucumbers. In order to get crisp, crunchy pickles, you need to use the varieties of cucumbers that specifically say ‘pickling cucumbers’ or has some sort of description that uses words like “great for making pickles,” like these. Pickling cucumber varieties are usually shorter and more firm than fresh-eating cucumbers.
2. Jar them immediately after picking, or as soon as possible.
Going straight from the vine to the jar is the best, and I always try to plan room in my schedule to can up a batch right away on pickle-picking day. However, I’ve still had good results using farmer’s market cukes– providing they are firm when I buy them, and I don’t leave them on the counter for days and days.
Additional tip: try to pick your pickling cucumbers before 9am if you can. Vegetables picked early in the morning tend to be sweeter and crisper than those picked later in the day after wilting a bit in the hot sun.
3. Soak cucumbers in an ice water bath for a couple hours.
If I can’t get to work canning my cucumbers immediately after picking them (or when I get home from the farmer’s market), submerging them in an icy bowl of water in the fridge will help them firm up/stay firm. Try soaking them for at least 30 minutes before canning them.
4. Cut off the blossom end of cucumber.
The blossom-end of a cucumber is said to contain enzymes which can cause mushy pickles. Cutting it off is your best bet.
Try cutting off at least 1/16 inch off the blossom end for crisp pickles. The blossom end is the opposite end of the pickle side that was attached to the plant. If you leave a little bit of the stem on that end, then you will be able to tell that the non-stem side is the one that needs to be trimmed.
5. Add tannins to the jar.
This may include oak leaves, grape leaves, or black tea. Honestly? This trick is always recommended, but I’ve had hit-or-miss results with it… If you have oak leaves or grape leaves handy, it definitely can’t hurt to toss one in each jar. Or, add a 1/2 teaspoon of loose black tea to each jar. But again, it won’t turn already-soft cucumbers magically crispy.
Canning Crunchy Pickles: Your Questions Answered
There are some common questions out there about the best tips for getting crunchy pickles, so I’m doing my best to answer them here. Feel free to add more questions in the comments below, and I’ll try to answer them.
Question: What about adding Alum?
Back in the day, it was recommended to add alum or food-grade lime to pickle recipes to help with crispness. It’s not really recommended anymore, due to safety considerations. (I’m not really interested in having aluminum in my pickles, thankyouverymuch.) Therefore, I have no personal data to share if these options are really that effective. However, I’m pretty darn sure if you use the tips above, you won’t even need to consider alum or lime.
Additional tip: You can look into something called Pickle Crisp, which is a food-grade calcium chloride additive that helps prevent pickles from going soft. It was created as a better alternative to alum and food-grade lime. I do not personally use it, but if nothing else works, you could try researching it for more information.
Question: What if I STILL get mushy pickles?
Well, then you might as well just quit this whole homesteading gig and go back to buying everything from the store…. Nah, not really. 😉 Sometimes mushiness still happens, even if you do everything in your power to prevent it. Mushy pickles are still quite edible, and if I get super-duper mushiness going on, I usually use those for chopping up to add to potato salad, making relish, etc. Just keep experimenting– you’ll get into your crispy-pickle groove eventually.
Question: OK… now how do I make the actual pickles? I knew you were going to ask that, so I have my favorite old-fashioned brined pickle recipe all ready for you right here. Or, if you looking for a water-bath canned version, this is a good one.
Some Extra Tips for You on Preserving Food…
Listed to the Old Fashioned On Purpose podcast episode #10 on this crunchy pickle topic HERE.
New to Canning? I’ve got loads of tips for beginner canners (and expert canners, too!) in my ebook and course Learn How to Can. Check it out for more details!
Want to watch me use a water bath canner and pressure canner and get details and expert tips on all things old-fashioned cooking? Check out my Heritage Cooking Crash Course for more details.
These tips are invaluble for the home pickle fanatic, the cold water bath always tends to work really well for me. ‘Cause you’re right, nobody wants to be eating mushy pickles 😀
If you *do* end up with them, we like to make relish – at least then nothing goes to waste!
Exactly– relish to the rescue. 🙂
Can you share the relish recipe you use for up-cycling mushy pickles? My first batch didn’t turn out so well. ?
Do weigh pickles before or after they’re cut?
What is the top 3 cumber to buy at a farmers market for making dill pickles
The best way to get cukes crunchy is to add to the brine horseradish leaves or horseradish root.It is strange that “experts” do not know that.
I am on a salt free diet snd got arecipie from the kidney center for refrigerator pickles. They only keep for about a month or two snd get pretty mushy. Any ideas there. They are made with two kinds of vinegar , sugar, dil seed, celery seed, peppercorns, mustard seed. Put in a jar with cut cucumbers and into fridge., That is it.
Hi Bonita,
Would you please tell me the proportions of each item in this pickle recipe, I am on a salt reduction eating plan.
Thanks
Jack g
Just to let you know,all I did was to take the brine recipe and cut the amount of salt in half. I have high blood pressure and I have to watch the amount of salt in my diet. It worked perfect the first time I tried it. didn’t change anything else.
Use about a 1/4 to teaspoon of the Calcium Chloride mentioned above. It keeps pickles crunchy and also tastes pretty salty but does not add any sodium to the mix. A win, win for those that are watching their salt in take and the vast majority of the populace that prefer crunchy pickles : ) Paul
Just a 1/4 teaspoon of the Calcium Chloride per quart jar of pickles. Not a teaspoon full. Sorry about the typeO….Paul
Can I use soft water
I use pickling lime . 1 cup to two gal of water . Mix well and put my pickles in there for 12 hrs or so. Ron even very well 3 times. Soak in water with ice for 3 hrs or so. After time is getting close get items ready on the stove folks love my krispy pickles
Thanks for sharing your tips with us Scott! Who can resist a good, crunchy pickle?
Hello to all you picked peaple
One important thinge none of you have mentioned is the picking juice that you make has to be completely cold beforeally pouring in the jars
Then do you put in a bath and boil for 10 minutes to seal?
i dont see anywhere how much pickle crisp is recommended per jar do you have any idea and how do you keep the nice green color of the cucumbers?
How do you make sure there is a good deal if you put liquid in cold
How do they seal if brine is cold
I have wondered about this. Heating them up would make then less crisp. Pouring the cold juices over them must be just for refrigerator pickles.
I lost my mothers sweet pickle recipe. I remember she soaked in lime overnight. Do u have a good recipe? Mary Houser. Magnoliamary20 @yahoo.com
An old friend told me his mother’s secret to crunchy pickles was put a later of pickles then a layer of grapes leaves n repeat. I believe she was using a crock just like the old time general store days when things were fished outta a barrel, crock or jar. Never had a mushy pickle and even snapped a little when you ate them.
My mom just added a grape leaf to each jar of pickles and they were always crunchy.
Don’t throw them away. They make an awesome brine for marinades. Chuck it all in a blender and pour it on for several hours or overnight. Yes, you can bake it all together!
TRY A TABLESPOON OF SPLENDA IN 1 QRT. JAR. IT IS A CONDITIONER AND PRESERVATIVE THAT WILL GIVE NICE CRUNCH
Does this work with refrigerator pickle recipes?
I’m so confused. I was following a recipe that said to keep cucumbers in ice water untill Ready to fill the jars which I did. I filled them in hot jars then I poured my boiling brine over and set them in my simmering hot water canner. I got an instant break of one jar. How would I prevent breaking jars if I’m starting with ice cold cucumbers? and not get a break?
It is possible that the jar had a hairline crack already. If the jar was hot, then it should have been fine with the hot brine and cold cukes. The cukes would heat up pretty quickly with the brine. I usually wash all my jars, then fill them with the cukes and spices. By the time I pour the brine over, the jars are not hot any more and haven’t had any problem with cracking jars, unless one already had a crack that I didn’t see.
I put clean jars in hot simmering water, then fill one jar at a time with cold cukes, add the brine as instructed, seal and then set in a boiler of simmering hot water that is set on low til I get enough jars to put in my water bath pot cause it should be hotter. That helps keep the jars hot and doesn’t cause so much shock. Since doing that, I haven’t had a jar to crack. But it takes more time, but has been worth it to me.
I always appreciate your ideas! I’ve better results with using bottled water when making pickles, since we use a well. Our water contains a fair amount of calcium, which I understand may also reduce crispness in cucumbers. I’m not sure if that is scientifically accurate, but the bottled water has helped me.
Never thought of that but it makes sense = thanks!
For what it’s worth, I’ve always added Earl Grey tea as the tannin source; it makes a subtle but enjoyable difference in the taste of the final product.
Really! How much? I’ll be making my first batch of pickles and bread and Butter pickles too.
My hot water bath pickles are always soft, so I started making refrigerator pickles, which are always crisp & very good. The drawback is that they take a lot of refrigerator space & I dont have a spare fridge. I’d rather process them, so I’ll give these suggestions a try.
when I make my pickles, and I do bread and butter and sweet pickles I use the pickle crisp and you don’t have to BOIL in the hot water bath, that’s right, I said you don’t have to boil them beautiful loving pickles any more! when all your pickles are in the water bath and that water should be HOT, you only have to hold the temp between 180, to 185, between thous 2 numbers, and hold it there for 30 min, you really don’t even need the pickle crisp, they will remain crisp, when your water goes above 185 F it breaks down the natural pectin in the pickle, and that’s what makes it SOFT. Thank you for letting me share this, with my pickles family.
I’m totally going to try this next time!
Actually, the calcium should make the pickles crisper. The older process for pickling started with a soak in water with lime (calcium hydroxide), followed by a bunch of rinses and a soak to get rid of the alkalinity before soaking in vinegar. The “pickle crisp” that you can add to your canning jars is calcium chloride, which isn’t alkaline.
I would say the chlorine compound in the tap water was probably the culprit.
Try a Berkey water filter instead of purchasing store bought bottled water. This will save you lots of dollars$$$. We’ve been using a Berkey for three years now, and I’m honest in saying it’s worth twice its price. It really is a wonderful product.
Disclaimer: I have no connection whatsoever with the Berkey Company, affiliate or otherwise. I’m just very pleased with their product and recommend it to anyone who values clean water that’s free of chlorine, fluoride, and many, many other contaminants.
I always use Berkey filtered water in my canning!
I agree to your ideas. Ive been making pickles for a very important purpose. Pickles is an excellent remedy to correct muscle cramps… More even effective than pills recommended by doctors… Pickles arent just relish but treatment too…
We bought a Berkey for use in Florida, their tap water is s o heavily chlorinated to me its undrinkable. Hubby took a sample to our pool store. Result? No extra chlorine needed fo the “pool” haha!
I installed a reverse osmosis filter under my sink for $600. Nothing in my water except water. I don’t have to buy any water for drinking or cooking.
My grandmother used to say if you were on your menses you were NOT allowed to even pick the cucumbers let alone in the kitchen with them because our hormones change the ph in the cukes and makes soft pickles. The only time I can remember she had soft pickles was the one time I helped while on my menses (I tried to sneak it past her, lol). A whole days worth of work down the tubes, ugh.
Oh my word– now that is one idea I did NOT come across in my research, ha! Interesting. 🙂
My grandmother used to say the same thing. I can remember my mother getting chided because she had helped with the pickling and only the batches she helped with were soft. My mother finally confessed that yes, she was on her menses and thought my grandmother was full of “hogwash” about making the pickles soft. We made relish with the soft pickles so nothing was truly wasted. Lesson learned though.
We’re taking a huge leap in logic. More like coincidence that a woman’s menstrual cycle coincided with the time and conditions that made cucumbers softest. For instance twice I’ve had a beer the same time I’ve made pickles and both times the pickles came out soft. I’m betting the loss in judgement from intoxication led to some mistakes. 🙂
Lol nut
The menses thing is that far-fetched.
I used to work at a metal finishing shop. The finished parts were inspected and packed by mostly women. If they were on their cycle, touching the parts would result in orders being returned because of corrosion spots. They switched duties when they were in that condition.
They basically decided that among themselves. No one walked in and said, “Hey! I’m on the rag today. I need modified duties!”
Oops. I meant “isn’t”.
I thought it was widely understood that women who spent most of their time around each other would end up with their cycles aligned. There’s really a lot going on that we do not see.
My mother in law use to say that about pickled beets. If have it the beets would turn white.
Another thing you can add to aid in crispness is horseradish leaves. Adds a little bit of tartness but not that noticable.
That same advice came from my mother and grandmother!
My mother told me the same thing. Im from WV
I’m also from WV and I was always told the same thing. In addition, walking across the plants while on your menses would kill the plant. That I am guilty of causing! Lol
I had 24 quarts of home grown carrots that all the lids lifted, checked the date on the jars, and it was on the calendar that I was menstruating. My sister warned me about that, but I never took it too seriously not to can during menses and actually told her “who would want to?” All my beautiful carrots, so hard won, into the chicken yard.
I agree. I’ve killed all my squash plants while pulling weeds while being on my cycle. I’m from OH.
If you wonder why there are so many *males* as chefs, it is because of a medieval tradition stating that women had to stay out of the cooking process when they had their menses.
Of course you need to remember that hygiene in the middle ages was not what it is today. Women had to suffer through 7 or 8 petticoats at all times, [No feminine hygiene products] even in hot weather [phew!]. The idea of taking baths was not universal [especially during cold weather and it is not until the 19th century that doctors even washed their hands between patients. Women were terrified to give birth in a hospital because the death rate was so high. People wash their hands before doing any cooking these days.
Thank you for having a reasonable comment.
About 20+ years ago I was told that to. I wasn’t allowed to can for that reason. Old wives tale, but its true.
My grandmother sold her pickles to the local Kash n’ Karry and actually collected all of our (us grandchildren) menses blood and used it as part of the pickling process. She said that the iron and calcium content in the blood helped the cucumbers to crisp, plus they stood out because they were the only red pickles on the shelf.
An elderly neighbor lady gave me the tip to buy distilled water. It was a miracle. Now I’m known all over for my dill pickles and they gave won first place at the fair every year….it’s all in the water!!
I’ve never heard of that before– I’ll have to try that!
whats your recipe??
Would you mind sharing your recipe?
I also use distilled water and what a difference it makes.
How do you process your dill pickle jars?
I am a beginner and the pressure cooker made mushy pickles.
I dont see how any waterbath or boiling water will create crisp pickles either?
When you put pickles in a pressure canner, which is unnecessary, it heats the pickles too hot for too long. Therefore use a water bath canner to seal the pickles, which takes far less time.
Please share how to truly make great pickles, every perfect step!
can I have your Recipe? val
I love this idea… will be trying the Distilled water.
If you add grape or oak leaves do you use green ones or brown ones?
I’ve always used green ones.
I’ve never used grape or oak leaves. Are you referring to dry leaves or brined? All I can find at the store are brined leaves, but I assume dry or fresh leaves are to be used.
Green grape leaves
Do you always leave your cukes whole when you can them?
Usually. We like them better that way. You can cut them though, if you wish.
Raspberry leaves have tannins in them also. I have used them and waa.. la crisp pickles. A few on the top of the jar. Weight them down with a small clean flat rock and soon they are fermented and ready to sample.
Very cool– didn’t know that about raspberry leaves.
This was going to be my first year canning pickles…but our cucumbers were a big fail in the garden this year (as were the corn, peas, and beans). I’ll just have to keep this saved for next year!
Yeah– I seem to either have AWESOME cucumber years, or they are complete flops. Nothing in between!
Black black bla this gave me nothing., other than to buy them from the store. Spoiler alert,they use alum.
I was always curious how it was that adding grape leaves, bay leaves or other types of leaves was the trick to getting your pickles to stay crunchy and not go soft. This is something I could never get an answer on. I didn’t know it was the tannins that preserves that crisp and familiar crunch you get with a pickle. I’ll have to do more research and see if I can really lock down the science behind it. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
There’s a product called Pickle Crisp, which is simply calcium chloride granules. Works like a charm. And calcium chloride is already in your body, is completely normal and natural, so win-win.
Jennifer where do you get the pickle crisp?
Wal Mart
I tried pickle crisp. Didn’t work for me. I’ve always used lime soak to crisp my pickles and they are always very crisp. Works great with the over grown cukes. Just remove the large seeds and slice 1/2” and soak inlime overnight then pickle with sugar and vinegar according to taste or recipe.
You soak them in lime juice overnight? Enough to cover them?
I assume they mean lime as in the mineral Calcium oxide/Hydroxide
No, not lime juice. Powdered lime you can buy at your local farm co-op. National Center for Home Preservation no longer recommends the use of lime in pickling. Many people especially, inexperienced canners, do not wash it all off in the process of making pickles. It is not healthy. Try using fresh small cucumbers, process right after you pick & use a knife tip of calcium chloride in your pickle recipe. I’m a state & county fair judge in home preservation & gardening & I’ve taught home canning for 20+ yrs. We do not recommend using alum any more either. It’s a good idea to go to https://nchfp.uga.edu/ and take their free home preserving self taught course. You will find the very best, most accurate canning information.
Thank you for this!
These are all great tips, thank you so much. I of course do have a question. I have heard and read about using Oak Leaves, and this would be great for me as I have two huge Oak Trees in my yard. So my question(s) is, does it matter what kind of Oak? White, Live…. Also, leaves from the tree or ones that have already fallen?
My wife thinks this is crazy, but I have seen a lot of people recommend this. Thanks!
I’ve never heard of that myself. I find an ice bath, don’t cook the pickles, the firmness of the cucumber, the variety of the cucumber make a big difference. I’d say check to see what species of tree you have and make sure its not something that’ll induce an allergic reaction then split the canning process to half with and half without. If you’re getting mixed results on both sides then oak leaves don’t impact the result. If there’s a clear difference then its probably worth it.
Personally I’m not sure I want to add any extra flavors to my pickle recipes 🙂 Soggy = Relish. 🙂
Red oak has the most tannins in them…
I’ve been told to only use white oak, as red oak leaves actually have too much tannin in them. I’ve had really good luck using white oak leaves in my pickles.
Never, having made pickles but am interested you never told how to make them, what up with that!
I have no interest in canning pickles. However my daughter does. so I am sending her the link with instructions to read the comments. They add so much info. Thank you for including them.
Jill,
When you say the “flower” end of the cuke, do you mean the end attached to the stem/vine or the other end?
I have a terrible time with mushy pickles so I can’t wait to try these tips.
Thanks so much. You are the best.
Barbara
The other end from the stem.
My neighbor that has canned for years has said to try horseradish leaves. I don’t have grape leaves or any of the other leaves mentions, but I do have horseradish growing in abundance. What do you think of using it, or have you heard of it before?
Yes, we’ve used horseradish leaves with success.
I’ve used horseradish leaves with excellent results in crock fermented pickles. Two or three leaves per crock seems to work, and there is a very subtle tang to the pickles that I enjoy.
I’ve also learned from America’s Test Kitchen and other sources that if you plan to can using the hot water bath, then be sure the water does not go over 180-185 degrees when processing. This would be another key to keeping it crisp. I’ve always curious about the Pickle Crisp granules (aka Calcium Chloride), but I am still researching if its “safe” to add that to my homemade pickles. Lastly, I love to learn where I can get fresh grape leaves.
If you have a Mediterranean market somewhere in your area they should have some. I’ve got my own grape vines but I use the leaves for other culinary purposes…maybe I’ll add some to a batch myself.
Hi, I am very new to this. May I ask if it is ok to slice up and deseed the cucumbers before placing them in ice-bath overnight in the fridge?
I always use the grape leaves and have good luck with a crisper dill pickle. Its funny to hear the old timers tell about the menses. My Mom never used that one but we girls had to pick the cucumbers and pack the jars, she could not touch them because she claimed her hands had bad ph and she could not make good pickles if she touched them. I thought this was a crock so that we had to do the work instead. Now I’m not to sure. She ssid the pickles would be soft. Have you heard this tale?
I’ve read a few iterations of this in this post. The Ph of your skin is far more neutral than any vinegar. In addition the moment you wash the cucumbers you’d be removing any trace levels of sebum (the natural oil on your skin) and sweat that’s on the exterior of the cucumber.
whats your recipe
The last sentence has the link to the recipe.
Correction: Next to last sentence.
This is my first to trying my hand at pickling. Where would I find the pickle crisping product? I’M SO EXCITED!!
You can get it at Wal-Mart and most grocery stores. I always use it and my pickles are crisp!
I use pickling lime. They always come out crisp.
You do have to wash the pickles thoroughly before adding any spices or vinegar.
All my great-grandmas, grandmas, my aunts and my mom insisted no one touch anything if they were on their menses when everyone got together to can. They got to watch the clock and the kids. I always thought it had more to do with the hygiene of the era, but maybe there is something to it.
Old Wives Tale. Seriously.
DIRT SIMPLE CRUNCHY PICKLES
My wife is making pickles now. At the time of this comment it is pickle time 2018. So, here is my good deed for the day. I’ll tell you the ONLY guaranteed way to make little crunchies. A little old lady on Sand Mountain gave me the clue. Ready? Ok! Here is the secret…
Get all your jars ready. Boil them and then stuff them with cucumbers. Whole, sliced, two day old…whatever. Pour your boiling vinegar concoction recipe into the jars. You probably do this anyway. Seal them like always.
Now here is the secret. As soon as the jars cool down below red hot PUT THEM INTO THE REFRIGERATOR. That’s all.
I realize that if you’re making a huge batch that this may be impractical. So happens we have a spare fridge where I keep our pickles, homemade apple and scuppernong jellies, pickled okra and all that good canned stuff.
At least put a few jars into the fridge as soon as they are cool enough….you know..for a test. You’ll find that two seasons later the pickles are STILL CRUNCHY.
If you think about our second favorite pickles, Klausen, which are found only in the cold case at the store then it all makes sense. Now you know the secret! You won’t remember me, but you’ll remember what I told you that the little old lady from Sand Mountain taught me.
I am opening a small pickle store in Jaffa, Israel. I am going to stock 90% of the store with vinegar-based pickles made exactly as you have described. I do not have the ability to keep them refrigerated from conception up until the sale. Would this trick still work if I then remove the pickles from the refrigerator after 24 hours and place them back on the shelves at room temperature?
Shalom Jake!
Wordpress delivered your note to my inbox but didn’t give a link so I had to search around until I found the site and your comment.
I’m going to turn this over to the pickle mistress herself, Vicky for the answer:
If I was going to do what you purpose I would not refrigerate the pickles at all. Might cause you to lose seal on the jars because of the change in temp. Remember to let the pickles cure for 6 weeks before eating or selling.
And also equal parts vinegar, water and 1/10 that amount in pickle salt and garlic and you can’t go wrong.
Have a happy day!
Vicky
how long do you keep in refrigerator?
I am ready to start my pickles, but I haven’t seen the recipe yet.
Want to mention that Alum is actually Potassium Alum and not the same as Aluminum Chloride which has been linked to cancer. Alum is safe. You can read more here: http://www.debralynndadd.com/q-a/is-potassium-alum-aluminum-free/
My mom used Alum for her dill pickles and they were the best ever!
She use to soak the pickles in a huge wash sink, as she made so many and stored them in the garage. The only dill pickle I can compare to hers is Bubbie’s. For me, second best to mom’s! Crunchy
and really have a kick to them! Glad I saw your comment as most recipes I’ve looked at do not add anything extra. I’m sticking to mom’s recipe!
Do you mind sharing your mom’s recipe?
Here’s my favourite recipe:
Pack cukes in clean jars after putting in a few garlic slices, a bay leaf, and dill weed on the bottom.
Bring 3 qts. water, 2 cups of vinegar and 1/2 c. pickling salt to a boil and pour over cukes in jars and seal with sterilized boiled caps and rings. Invert jars and leave them on tea towels to cool.
Does anyone know why we can’t find mustard relish in the grocery stores anymore?
How do they seal, when inverted? You don’t have to water Bath?
I learned from a local veteran pickle maker not to water bath can them either, it’s just cooking them into soft pickles. She was so right, they’re in brine and sealed so all is good. In 15 years of making them, I’ve lost only one jar that didn’t seal right.
So: Once you have everything packed in the jar, (lots of dill, garlic, grape leaf, dried chopped peppers, and cukes), pour the BOILING brine into the jar, wipe the rim, put the lid in place, screw down the ring tight and invert the jar. Leave overnight on a towel. The heat from the boiling brine is what seals the lid. Note: Afterwards, remove the ring and wipe down the jar of any leftover brine that has dried on it. If you leave the ring on, it may corrode and rust from the brine residue. Store in a cool dark place. Give them at least 8 weeks to develop good flavor, but the longer the better.
I have my jars ready in the dishwasher so they’re hot and clean and pull them out as needed. All in the timing, getting my pickling going while they are on the heated drying cycle. I will be doing my second batch of dills tomorrow, looking forward to the process 🙂
Do you share your recipe? I love the simplicity of this idea and am wondering about the water to vinegar ratio. I noticed that some of my jars suctioned the pop lid down before going into the canner and wondered if that was good enough.
Hi Shannon, sorry this took so long… completely forgot to respond! The brine is pretty standard, 1 quart cider vinegar (be careful, I noticed Heinz is selling “cider flavored” distilled vinegar), 3 quarts water, 3/4 cup canning salt. I prefer cider vinegar for dills, distilled for sweet pickles. Either works fine, just my preference. For the pickles, to each quart jar add 1 grape leaf, several cloves of garlic- whole or cut into pieces, dill… lots of dill heads and dill weed, scant 1/8 tsp alum and 1/2 teaspoon or more of chopped dried peppers. I usually pack all the ingredients in the jar before adding the cucumbers, but only add half the dill and garlic before putting in the cukes, then top with the other half before pouring in the brine.
The dried peppers are from what I grow in the garden, predominantly jalapenos. Make sure if you do add any peppers that they are dried, not fresh. Also, most recipes I see call for only two or three dill heads. I pack in at least double that and I use the dill fronds as well.
Enjoy!
The whole premise of heat processing is NOT to invert your jars —ever. Creating a vacuum seal through the heating and cooling process in the only safe approach to food preservation.
Never invert anything while in the cooling down process!
I always heard that you must use pickling salt & not iodized.
Yes, iodized salt makes soft pickles. Use non-iodized, pickling, or kosher salt for best results.
Anyone ever make lemon-juice pickles instead of using vinegar?
Would muscadine leaves work for “grape leaves” or does it have to be a certain species of grape? Love all of the stories and comments!
I use Muscadine leaves and they make for wonderful pickles
You do not have to hot water bath the pickles?
I never hot water bath my pickles. That’s how I keep them crisp. I start with jars that are hot. Pack cukes and dill and garlic, pour boiling brine over and put in 300f oven on cookie sheet or jelly roll pan until almost boiling again and seal with HOT lid and ring, invert for 5 minutes and voila; if followed correctly, they will all seal. I also use pickle crisp and everyone raves.
I cannot see the recipe. Please send it to me. I have cucs waiting. Never made dills before so am anxious for a good tried and true recipe. Thanks!
She offers links at the end of her post.
I cannot see the recipe for crunchy dill pickles. Please email me. Thank you
I would like a recipe for sweet pickles. Thank you
Beulah’s Sweet Pickles
(from Beulah, my folks’s landlady in 1963)
This is how it was worded on the recipe card she gave them.
in crock:
to each 7 lbs. of sliced pickling cucumbers, add 2 c. hydrated lime & 2 gallons water. Stir.
Cut cukes in thick slices & soak overnight in mixture. Stir often. Pour off next morning and wash in clear water. Soak in clear water for 3 hours. Drain.
Syrup:
2 qts. vinegar (We use cider vinegar.)
1 tbsp. salt
4 ½ lbs. sugar
tied in cheesecloth or muslin:
1 tsp. celery seeds
½ tsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. allspice
Pour over pickles and let set overnight.
Put on stove. Bring to boil. Boil for 35 minutes.
Put into hot, sterilized jars. Put on lids.
yield: 8-9 pints
my notes:
Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes, then cool and store. They can be eaten anytime after they are processed. We usually keep the last, not quite full jar in the fridge to snack on. This one doesn’t need to be processed because it will be eaten up so quickly!
Hi there
I was picking my pickles
The first one ( 10 lbs )
But my cukes turning a bit green on the skin
Is it still can eat them
I’m feeling bad to throw a way
And my pickling juice is very clear not mussy as all
Please let me know what I did wrong
Please and thank you
I used Brads recipe from the ba YouTube channel. Big jar, 4 lbs kirbys. 8 cups water, 1/2 cup kosher salt. Lots of coriander and other whole spices, garlic, etc. 10 days in my fridge in the garage that gets barely opened more than once a day so I can flip around to mix the big jar. They came out amazing! Super crunchy and just the right amount of salt and funk. A perfect 1/2 sour. I repack and slice them in batches to keep in my kitchen fridge for constant nibbling. I seriously could sell these. Check em out! – https://imgur.com/a/H0ijHRR
Hi Jon, When these cukes are “finished”, do they still have a cucumber flavor? The reason I ask is because while I LOVE a great fermented, or dilled canned or sour pickle, I just can’t handle the flavor of cucumber… at all. So I’m always on the lookout for recipes or processes that make a great pickle with no reminiscent cucumber taste.
My all time favorite store bought pickle was back in the, ’70s, they were Max’s brand and were the most amazing sour slightly hot pickle, thick chunks and spears of fat kinda soft cukes, and some carrot spears as well in the jar. They haven’t been around for a few decades…If I could find something that replicated these, I would be in pickle heaven 🙂
Just bought the cookbook and tries the refrigerator pickles. Does anyone know if you can reuse the vinegar mix and just keep adding cucumbers? If so, for how long?
Yes, you can reuse it for future batches!
what cookbook would that be?
Last year I did zucchini pickles. This year I bought pickling cukes. Put them up yesterday, 1 fay after they were picked. 24 pint of bread & butter, dill & sweet. This is the 1st time for me. I hope they are crunchy! Wish I would have had this article yesterday!
What if the recipe calls for adding the pickles and cooking the brine. Like mustard pickles ?
Oak leaves? What kind, as there are several types of oak trees. All I have are live oaks here, but I have never heard of use them or other deciduous types for pickling. Please comment on this.
PUT IN 1 TABLESPOON OF SPLENDA IN QRT JAR . THIS IS A PRESERVATIVE THAT WORKS TO CRUNCH UP THE DILL PICKLE.
My sister makes very crunchy pickles, she tells me her secret is a small pinch of white pepper in each jar. Go figure….
My grandmother sold her pickles to the local Kash n’ Karry and actually collected all of our (us grandchildren) menses blood and used it as part of the pickling process. She said that the iron and calcium content in the blood helped the cucumbers to crisp, plus they stood out because they were the only red pickles on the shelf.
I accidentally cut off the wrong end of the pickle and I already canned them. Will they be safe to eat?
If anyone needs grape leaves and lives inChesterfield County in South Carolina, you can come here to my property to get some muscadine grape leaves, no charge. Just email me.
Hi There and thank you for at least trying to answer my question about dill pickles which I have made for 40 years but recently after sitting on the shelf for which I have given them a water bath for 15 or 20 minutes for quarts there are some jars that the brine evaporates down at least 1 and half to 2 inches. The pickles are fine but I cannot sell the evaporated ones. Also the lids are a bit rusted not buckled or anything but rust appears which I assume is because of the brine getting out.
Please, can you tell me what I have done wrong. I got past the jars breaking which is when you reuse your quart jars but I don’t understand why the brine is escaping from the jars?
PLEASE PLEASE HELP AND THANK YOU.
Are you using weights on your canner or are you just watching the pressure gauge? I wonder if this is an issue more related to siphoning than pickle-making per se. Before I started using weights (which automatically releases pressure if it goes over a given level, e.g., 10psi for a 10# weight) my canner would often overshoot as it reached 11psi, so that I had to lower the burner temperature to reduce the pressure and avoid over-processing. If the steam pressure was reduced too quickly it would drop below the pressure in the jars, so that the jar pressure would push out some of the liquid. You of course may already know about this but I would start by examining your canner and consider if any part of your setup has changed recently.
I use Armenian cucumbers for my pickles. They have a mild cucumber taste, but are actually in the muskmelon family. We started growing them a few years ago. After they produced so many, I started canning them. They taste like any type of solution you put them in, but they are crunchy, even after a year plus. I just had my friends pickles from last year, and they weren’t as crunchy as mine. We grow them on a 4’ trellis. They go over the trellis, and come back to the ground on the other side. They produce like crazy. I have even used the large ones, cut in half, seeds removed with a spoon, and they are still crunchy. The outer color is cream. Yes, I do use them in salads too.
My question is about the canning stage. Lots of recipes say to add the brine hot to the jars, screw lid on and then water bath for 15 minutes. Surely this is just stewing the pickles and they will be soft? Is there anyway round this?