Our first attempt at making dill pickles.

In our house, we are all dill pickle fanatics and have often talked about the possibility of making a batch ourselves.  Our son, who lives in Ontario, is home for a couple weeks vacation, he also wants to learn, so we thought it would be a great time to attempt the making of the dill pickles.

On Saturday we all went to a local Farmer’s Market and along with lots of other great produce and fish we picked up a basket of pickling cucumbers.  We now felt committed, and yesterday the process began!

Some of the wares displayed at our local Farmers Market.

Myself, my son and my daughter were the designated pickle makers…in other words, my husband was “busy, busy, busy”! {lol}  We found a recipe on line and following the directions, washed, dried and quartered the cucumbers, put them in big bowls, covered them with ice and let them sit for 3 hours.  Then, the three of us set out to the store to pick up some ingredients we were missing, some bottles and a tall stock pot. {OK, it ended up being a few trips to the store, but who’s counting…lol}

This is my daughter carefully removing one of the jars from the processing bath.

We washed and then sterilized all the pickle making implements…bottles, rings, tops, tongs, ladles, etc.  Concocted the pickle liquid according to the recipe directions, peeled garlic and picked some dill heads from the garden.  Now the fun part begins, we carefully filled the bottles with the now crispy cucumber quarters and added a clove of garlic, a head of dill and covered it all with the pickling liquid.  We processed the filled bottles for the required time and then listened anxiously for the triumphant “pop” of each bottle successfully sealing.

The fruits of our labour!!

The entire process, {excluding the pickles sitting for 3 hours and the multiple trips to the store} actually only took roughly 1.5 hours and depending on the outcome, I would certainly make them again.  The pickles now need to sit for at least one week before eating, so now the waiting begins….tick, tock…tick, tock…tick, tock….

{I’ll post an update next week and let you know how the pickle making experiment turns out!}

 

Comments

  1. Great photos! I can’t wait to try canning it is on my to do list this year.

  2. Elva Roberts says:

    August 9-I loved hearing about your efforts to make Dill Pickles. I know it takes time but I know the results will be worth it. I have made Mustard Pickles for years. They required a great deal of sugar but were absolutely delicious. However, with a husband with Type 11 Diabetes, I no longer make them. I might make an exception and make a batch for my middle daughter. The older girl makes her own and they are very delicious. Anythng made at home seems to taste so much better. Good luck with the results. We will be waiting to hear your verdict on them!–el03ro

    • Thanks Elva, I like mustard pickles too but have never made them. I think next week we’re going to try to make a batch of Lady Ashburnham pickles….I had them years ago and loved them!

  3. debbie starkey says:

    Good for you .i starting pickling a few years ago and now im addicted..Its really trial and error and tweaking the right recipe!

    • I have bought much of the equipment Debbie, so I can totally see myself becoming addicted…lol. Plus, I really like the idea of knowing what is in the jar and know that the pickles contain no extra additives.

  4. Patricia says:

    Congrats on trying something new. It is always a challenge, but a learning experience as well. Love your photos, esp. the one at the Farmers’ Market. Not generally a dill pickle fan, more the Lady Ashburnham type, but have to admit they certainly look crunchy and good!!
    Patricia, Sugar & Spice & All Things ? Nice

  5. Love the photos and , although I’m not a dill pickle fan, I’m sure they are going to be taste test perfect. Now the kids know how to make them too, for you next year.!!
    Kathy at Oak Lawn Images

  6. Thanks Kathy, hopefully they’re going to taste great…the big taste test is next week! As for the kids making them for me, I can’t see that happening anytime soon!! {lol}

  7. Krystal @ Uh Oh Mom! says:

    Mmmm I love dill pickles!

    • They’re so versatile Krystal aren’t they – you can have them on a sandwich, beside a sandwich or straight from the jar as a little snack!

  8. My husband and I just started canning last year and pickles were on our canning to do list! They turned out really well (and it was our first time too) So here’s to hoping yours do too :D

  9. Jo-Ann Brightman says:

    I love the details on how you made your own dill pickles. I hope they taste as good as they look.

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