Preparation

1. Wash hands with soapy water.
2. Wash cucumbers.
3. Cut 1/16 inch from the blossom end and discard. Leave ¼ inch of stem attached.
4. Follow canning and processing directions below for a safe, shelf-stable product.

Canning Instructions

For best practices, read resources from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Read Using Boiling-Water Canners before beginning to make jam or jelly at home. Read the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning: Guide 1 Principles of Home Canning if you are new to canning.

1. Sterilize canning jars in boiling water.
2. Make a brine of vinegar, water, and salt. Bring to a boil.
3. Place a generous layer of dill, ½ to 1 clove of garlic (sliced), and ½ teaspoon of mustard seed in the bottom of each pint jar.
4. Pack cucumbers into the hot jars. When jars are half-filled with cucumbers, add more dill and complete the packing of the jars.
5. Fill jars with boiling brine, leaving ½ inch headspace from top.
6. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids.
7. Process the filled, lidded jars in a boiling water canner for the appropriate time (see Processing Details below).
8. Carefully remove jars from boiling water; let cool.
9. Remove screw bands after about 12 to 24 hours.
10. Label and date product.
11. Store product in a dark, dry, cool location.

Note: Pickles will shrivel after processing but will later plump in the sealed jar.

Processing Details

Determine processing times at altitude using a boiling-water canner.

• Jar Sizes: Pints or Quarts
• Type of Pack: Hot

Processing Time

• At 1 to 1 to 1,000 feet altitude: 10 minutes
• At 1,001 to 6,000 feet altitude: 15 minutes
• Over 6,000 feet altitude: 20 minutes

Recipe Source

This is a tested, evidence-based recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. University of Georgia Extension.