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Grandma’s Secret Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

This dill pickle recipe for canning was handed down by my grandmother {who gave it to me in the form of a newspaper clipping} and has ruined store-bought pickles for me forever. If you like a crunchy, salty, slightly spicy, delicious dill pickle and like to can, this post is for you! 

dill pickles

I’m sharing this recipe with you because I love you. But you better not tell anyone else because these pickles are my key to fame and fortune! 😉

Grandma’s Secret Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

These pickles are such a family favorite that when I was a kid in Germany, we used to take boxes of them home with us on the airplane after our summer visits. The customs agents thought we were insane every time they inspected our pickles. I guess we’re really lucky they never broke! 

You won’t regret making this dill pickle recipe if you like salty, spicy, sour pickles! Here’s how to get started.

To make these pickles, you need a lot of cucumbers. Preferably, straight, small ones (4-5 inches or so). I like to grow my own, but for whatever reason, I have not been successful growing cucumbers the last few years. These beautiful cucumbers were given to me by a friend and this is the first time I have been able to can pickles in several years. If you have any small, extra cucumbers, please send them my way!

The first step to getting great dill pickles is to have great cucumbers! Wash and prep your cucumbers before starting your canning process.

First, prepare your water bath canner and get your pickle solution ready {recipe below}. Then, wash cucumbers well and cut off any bad spots. Also cut off just the blossom end tip to help the pickles stay crunchy after canning.

Pack your cucumbers tightly into your mason jars before pouring the pickle brine in.

Pack cucumbers very, very, very tightly into quart size jars. Squeeze in as many as you can  because once they are canned they will all float to the top and make it look like you could have fit at least 50% more in! It never fails.

Add garlic, hot pepper, dill, and alum to your cucumbers to give your pickles a spicy and delicious flavor!

Add garlic, hot pepper, dill, and alum. Don’t skimp on the alum ~ it’s one part of crispy pickle. You can add more peppers to this dill pickle recipe if you want – up two two hot peppers for a super spicy pickle.

Pour the pickle brine liquid into the mason jars. Be careful! The liquid is hot.

Ladle prepared, boiling pickle solution (water, pickling salt, apple cider vinegar) into your jars. Leave 1/4 inch head space.

Add a washed grape leaf to the mason jar before sealing for added flavor.

Add one washed grape leaf per jar. The tannins in grape leaves also help keep these pickles crispy. If you can’t find any, I have read you can substitute an oak leaf or loose black tea, but I have never tried that myself.

Time to seal your mason jar! make sure you seal it nice and tight, and also remember that the jar will be hot so be careful!

Put the lids on and tighten. Use pot holders because the jar will be really hot.

Boil the mason jars for about 10 minutes to ensure a proper seal, then carefully remove the jars, cool, and store!

Put the cans into boiling water in a water bath canner and can for  ~10 minutes, just long enough to help the jars seal. Remove jars from canner, make sure they seal, then let them sit for 24 hours to cool. After they’ve cooled completely, store them for at least three weeks before eating.

Dill Pickle Recipe Ingredients

Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

  1. Prepare water bath canner and bring water to a boil.
  2. Sterile quart size canning jars. (I wash mine in dishwasher or boil them in the canner).
  3. Heat up lids and rings.
  4. Combine water, salt, vinegar in a large pot and bring to a boil.
  5. Wash cucumbers and cut off any bad spots.
  6. Pack cucumbers extremely tightly into canning jars. Wide mouth jars are easier to pack.
  7. Add hot pepper, alum, dill, garlic to the jars.
  8. Ladle pickling solution into jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.
  9. Wipe off mouth of jars.
  10. Tighten lids on jars.
  11. Place jars in waterbath canner and boil for 10 minutes.
  12. Remove jars from canner.
  13. Let sit to cool for 24 hours.
  14. Store pickles for 3 weeks before eating.
  15. Enjoy!


Printable Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

Yield: enough brine for 7 quarts

Grandma's Secret Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

Dill Pickle Canning Tutorial for a crunchy, spicy dill pickle from SimplifyLiveLove.com

This dill pickles recipe canning tutorial makes the most delicious homemade dill pickle ever! Even beginners will love this dill pickles canning tutorial!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Prepare water bath canner and bring water to a boil.
  2. Sterile quart size canning jars. (I wash mine in dishwasher or boil them in the canner).
  3. Heat up lids and rings.
  4. Combine water, salt, vinegar in a large pot and bring to a boil.
  5. Wash cucumbers and cut off any bad spots.
  6. Pack cucumbers extremely tightly into canning jars. Wide mouth jars are easier to pack.
  7. Add hot pepper, alum, dill, garlic to the jars.
  8. Ladle pickling solution into jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.
  9. Wipe off mouth of jars.
  10. Tighten lids on jars.
  11. Place jars in waterbath canner and boil for 10 minutes.
  12. Remove jars from canner.
  13. Let sit to cool for 24 hours.
  14. Store pickles for 3 weeks before eating.
  15. Enjoy!

Notes

If you're having a hard time finding grape leaves, take a drive in the country. They grow wild a lot!

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Sodium: 138465mgCarbohydrates: 12gSugar: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram tagging @simplifylivelove! I love to see your photos!

Do you like pickles? What’s your most favorite kind?

For more ways to use your summer garden bounty, read these:

Homemade Strawberry Syrup and Canning Instructions

Homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce

The Quick and Easy Guide to Canning Crushed Tomatoes

Homemade Gourmet Vinegar with Garden Fresh Herbs

Pineapple Jalapeno Relish 

Now you can make your very own dill pickles at home with this dill pickle canning tutorial! It's easy to follow, and makes the most delicious dill pickles!

Rebecca

Tuesday 18th of July 2023

How long does extra pickling solution last? I have quite a bit leftover as I didn’t have as many cucumbers as I thought I had and don’t want it to go to waste. Also, could I make this same recipe with zucchini to use up the solution? Would you do anything different if using zucchini in place of cucumbers? Thanks! This is a simple and yummy recipe :)

Michelle Marine

Tuesday 18th of July 2023

I've never tried with zucchini so I don't honestly know. I have used it with green beans though - to make a dilly bean type thing and it was really good. :-) As far as how long it lasts? I've kept it for a few weeks. There's nothing anything in it that would spoil, I don't think. But I don't have an approved answer for that either.

Shari

Wednesday 12th of July 2023

Is it OK to cut the cucumbers in Spears?

Michelle Marine

Thursday 13th of July 2023

That generally makes them mushy. I don't recommend it.

Mike

Wednesday 14th of September 2022

I'm trying to figure how much ingredients I need, but I can't find how many jars of pickles this recipe, and it's ingredients list, is intended for. I'm just planning on a half gallon worth of finished product for occasional consumption, but the recipe seems to be for much more. For example, I might need to purchase more cider vinegar, or alum, but I just don't know. Rather than wait for a response, I'll wing it.

Diane Neusch

Friday 5th of August 2022

The vinegar to water ratio of 1:3 is too small for these to be safe. Some university websites say it should be at least 3:4. Others say 1:1. Otherwise, they taste good...

Diane Neusch

Tuesday 6th of September 2022

@Michelle Marine, I found this definition of brining: Brined or Fermented Pickles In the first method, the vegetables go through a curing process in a salt and water brine solution for one or more weeks. Lactic acid produced during this fermentation process helps preserve the product. Once fermentation is complete, these foods must be refrigerated or canned for safekeeping. Regarding the ratio: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/canning/canning-tips/40old-pickle-recipes.html https://www.healthycanning.com/50-50-rule-pickling/#:~:text=Fresh%2Dpack%20or%20quick%20pickle,up%20all%20the%20covering%20liquid%E2%80%9D.

I will definitely use this recipe again, but will increase the vinegar. Thanks

Michelle Marine

Friday 5th of August 2022

From my research, because these are brined, the vinegar to water ratio doesn't matter.

Michelle Marine

Friday 5th of August 2022

Can you please share a source? Thank you!

Anita

Saturday 23rd of July 2022

I personally dill pickles too salty. If I reduced your salt my half or 1/3, would it affect the texture of the pickles?

Michelle Marine

Sunday 24th of July 2022

Hi Anita, I just googled this because I didn't know, and that is what I found: "The USDA Complete Guide (2015) says salt is not required for fresh-pack (vinegar) pickle recipes, but that it absolutely is required for safety with fermented pickles: In the making of fresh-pack pickles, cucumbers are acidified quickly with vinegar."

"With the exception of cured or smoked foods and most pickled products, salt is not necessary for safe processing of home-canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. Its addition does help retain the natural color and texture of the canned product. It is primarily added for flavor." - https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/food-preservation-without-sugar-or-salt-9-302/

So I think it's safe for you to reduce the amount of salt in this recipe. :-)

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