Author
Hannah Haslam, Member Services Coordinator & Food Writer, Utah Farm Bureau Federation
Nearly every summer over the 10 years that I have known my friend Eli, we have spent at least one afternoon canning some produce. Usually, Eli and I think we can do it all on our own, but inevitably we end up calling Eli’s mother Cathie, who is a canning queen, for help. Some years we bottle peaches, salsa, or tomato sauce, but the best years are when we make Cathie’s famous pickles. It took a couple of years of canning before Eli and I made the pickles, but he often talked about them with near reverence, and after trying them myself, I understood why!
Cathie has been making her pickles for 43 years now. She taught herself to can out of the USDA Canning book. The pickle recipe that was in that book has since become hers. The neighborhood kids loved her pickles so much, that they would come to line up outside her door to ask for one – so much so that she had to start planning out her pickle canning in advance to not run out before the next canning season! The pickles (and pickle juice) also became her secret weapon for killer potato salad, with people always begging to know what made hers so good.
Over the years Cathie has taught all her children to bottle those pickles and they in turn have shared the secret with their friends- including me!
Cathie’s Fresh Pack Dill Pickles
Yield is about 7 Quarts
Cukes-about 18 lbs. 3-5 inches in length- the smaller the cuke, the better they taste. Pack 7-10 (or until the bottle is filled but not too tight) per wide mouth quart jar.
- Make 2 gallons of 5% brine. For the brine, dissolve ¾ cup pure un-iodized granulated salt per gallon of water. *Iodized salt causes pickles to be mushy and liquid cloudy when bottled.
- Wash cukes thoroughly. Scrub with a veggie brush. Drain well.
- Cover scrubbed cukes with the 5% brine and let sit overnight to soften the “skins” on the cukes. I put a heavy lid on top of the soaking cukes to hold them under the brine.
- After soaking the cukes overnight, cut about 1/8 inch off the blossom end of the pickle. This makes/keeps them crisp.
- Combine and boil the following together until the sugar and salt are dissolved and the liquid is boiling:
- 6 cups vinegar (make sure it is a high-grade white 4-6% acidity Vinegar)
- 3/4 cups pure un-iodized granulated salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 9 cups of water
- 2 Tbsp pickling spice (you can tie the spices up in a cheesecloth or just dump them into the pot. I dump them into the pot and include them in the bottles when I prepare for processing. I think it adds flavor ??)
6. Pack the drained cukes into clean, hot, wide-mouthed quart jars. Then add to each jar:
- 2 tsp mustard seed
- 1-2 whole garlic cloves per quart
- Dill plant- 3 heads per quart or 1 tbsp dill seed per jar (I do both)
7. Cover the pickles with the boiling liquid to within ½ inch of the top of the jar. Process in a water bath for 25 minutes. Remove Jars and complete seals
Cool the bottles and put them on a shelf for a few weeks before opening so they can “pickle.”
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FAQs
An easy pickling recipe to follow is the 3-2-1 method; three parts water, two parts vinegar, and one part sugar. This 3-2-1 pickle brine is on the sweeter side, making it great for bread and butter pickles or spicy pickled beets. For a more savory pickle, use less sugar.
What is the 321 method of pickling? ›
An easy pickling recipe to follow is the 3-2-1 method; three parts water, two parts vinegar, and one part sugar. This 3-2-1 pickle brine is on the sweeter side, making it great for bread and butter pickles or spicy pickled beets. For a more savory pickle, use less sugar.
How to make your own jewelry pickle? ›
He says that he has reduced porosity in re-used metals by using citric acid. In a pinch vinegar and salt make a very good safe home pickle, about one cup vinegar to one teaspoon salt or more. An emergency pickle is to sprinkle salt on a cut lemon and rub it over the metal to be pickled.
What are the 4 types of pickling? ›
The many varieties of pickled and fermented foods are classified by ingredients and method of preparation. The four general classes are: brined or fermented, fresh-pack or quick-process, fruit and relishes. Caution: The level of acidity in a pickled product is as important to its safety as it is to taste and texture.
What's the difference between dill pickles and pickles? ›
Dill pickles and sweet pickles have distinct flavors due to their different ingredients and preparation methods. Dill pickles are made with cucumbers, vinegar, water, salt, garlic, and dill weed. The flavor of dill pickles is predominantly tangy and sour, with a strong dill flavor and a salty finish.
What is the basic pickling formula? ›
The classic ratio is super easy to remember and is easily scale-able depending on how many pickles you're making. It's 100% vinegar, 50% water, 25% sugar and 12.5% kosher salt by weight. So for example, 200g vinegar, 100g water, 50g sugar and 25g kosher salt (again, you can scale this up or down!).
Which is the best vinegar for pickling? ›
Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.
What is the best pickle solution for jewelry? ›
Sparex #2 - a sodium bisulfate liquid that is the most popular pickle choice among jewelers. It comes in a granulated form to be added to distilled water.
What is a substitute for jewelry pickles? ›
Several EM members suggest using citric acid as the pickling agent. Alexandra Hart, an accomplished metalsmith and the Executive Director of Ethical Metalsmiths, finds citric acid effective with both silver and gold. She starts with a proportion of 1/3 cup citric acid to two cups of water.
How long do you leave jewelry in pickle? ›
I routinely leave 18k jewelry in pickle overnight and occasionally longer. Haven't had any problems with it yet. that by the time it is finished, every joint is rock-solid.
Plums are quite possibly the most perfect fruit to pickle. Their sweet flesh combined with their tart skin and pickling syrup is addicting. This recipe from Food in Jars is great because it pairs spicy with exotic sweet spices like star anise and clove.
What is the most popular pickle? ›
Dill pickles are the most commonly known pickle type. Dill pickles include vinegar, pickling salt, and dill in its brine, whether it be fresh, dried, or in seed form. Dill pickles can also be prepared to be Kosher certified.
What are the healthiest pickles to eat? ›
“The pickles that are beneficial for your gut health are the fermented ones, made by brining them in salt rather than vinegar,” says Dr. Oppezzo. “While vinegar pickling is a common method, true fermentation in brine enriches them with beneficial probiotics for your gut.
What are pickles without dill called? ›
Polish or German pickles are similar to dill pickles but usually involve herbs and spices like caraway seeds, mustard seeds and/or peppercorns.
What brits call dill pickles? ›
What you call a pickle we call gherkins or Dill pickle. In the East End of London, they are called Wallies!! Of course not. We have pickled onions, red cabbage, beetroot, eggs, a traditional mixed vegetable pickle, & oh yes — gherkins in the kitchen.
What is the best dill for pickles? ›
Bouquet – Bouquet dill offers high seed and leaf yields. This variety turns out large flowers, long sturdy stems and large leaves. Many people use bouquet dill for cut flower arrangements. It's also favored for pickling and this variety of dill tends to be the most popular home garden choice.
What is the 321 method of cooking? ›
The 321 method for ribs is simple: 3 hours of smoky bliss, 2 hours of wrapping them in foil, and 1 hour of causing them for mouthwatering caramelization. Hungry yet? Dive into our guide to unlock the full potential of your ribs. Get ready for masterful ribs in 3, 2 1.
What are the three methods of pickling? ›
There are three general methods for vinegar-brine pickling: quick-pickling, salt-brine pickling and the vinegar-brine soak and rinse method. Within those methods, there exist many variations, recipes and approaches to make things like relishes and chutneys.
What is the best ratio of vinegar to water for pickling? ›
The basic ratio for quick pickles is 1:1 vinegar to water, and includes some combination of salt and sugar. Another ratio that is commonly followed is the 3:2:1 method, using three parts vinegar, two parts water, and 1 part sugar.
What is the best pickling solution? ›
For quick pickles, a basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well. You can use these vinegars alone or in combination.
