🥒 Award-Winning Old-Fashioned Dill Pickles
The Origin & History of Pickles
Pickling dates back thousands of years, when ancient civilizations discovered that cucumbers and other foods could be preserved in salt brine or vinegar long after the harvest ended. Cucumbers originated in India and traveled through the Middle East and Europe, where pickling became an essential method of food preservation.
In America, immigrants brought their favorite pickling traditions with them. Garlic-and-dill pickles became especially popular in New York delicatessens, eventually becoming an American classic. Today, homemade pickles continue that centuries-old tradition—preserving the fresh taste and crunch of the summer harvest, one jar at a time.
Crisp Homemade Dill Pickles in the Ultra-Tech II 26-Qt. Stockpot
There is nothing quite like the crisp snap of an old-fashioned homemade dill pickle.
Summer is prime pickling season, and the secret starts with small, firm, freshly picked pickling cucumbers. Choose cucumbers approximately 3–4 inches long for attractive whole pickles that fit nicely into pint Mason jars.
This recipe uses the Health Craft Ultra-Tech II 26-Qt. 316Ti Stainless Steel Stockpot with Steamer/Canning Basket for boiling-water processing.
Yield: approximately 7–9 pints
Equipment
- Health Craft Ultra-Tech II 26-Qt. 316Ti Stainless Steel Stockpot with cover
- Health Craft Steamer/Canning Basket
- Health Craft 3-Qt. Stainless Steel Saucepan
- 7–9 pint Mason canning jars
- New canning lids
- Jar lifter
- Canning funnel
- Clean towels
Ingredients
Cucumbers
- 8 lbs. fresh pickling cucumbers, preferably 3–4 inches long
- ¾ cup canning or pickling salt
- 2 gallons filtered or purified water (DO NOT USE CHLORINATED TAP WATER)
Pickling Brine
- 6 cups white distilled vinegar — 5% acidity
- 8 cups filtered or purified water
- ½ cup canning or pickling salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole mixed pickling spice
For Each Pint Jar
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1½ fresh dill heads
Step 1 — Select & Prepare the Cucumbers
For the crispiest pickles, use cucumbers as soon after harvesting as possible.
Wash thoroughly. (Soak in filtered or purified water with 2 cups white distilled vinegar)
Cut approximately 1/16 inch from the blossom end of each cucumber and discard it. The blossom end may contain enzymes that contribute to softening.
Leave approximately ¼ inch of stem attached at the opposite end.
Dissolve ¾ cup pickling salt in 2 gallons of filtered or purified water.
Pour over the cucumbers and allow them to stand for 12 hours.
Drain thoroughly.
Step 2 — Prepare the Ultra-Tech II 26-Qt. Stockpot
Place the Health Craft Steamer/Canning Basket into the bottom of the 26-Qt. Ultra-Tech II Stockpot.
The basket keeps the jars from sitting directly against the bottom of the stockpot and allows boiling water to circulate around them.
Begin heating enough water so the filled jars will ultimately be covered by at least 1 inch of boiling water during processing.
Do not overfill the stockpot before adding the jars—the filled jars will displace considerable water.
Step 3 — Prepare the Pickling Brine
In the Health Craft 3-Qt. Stainless Steel Saucepan, combine:
- 6 cups 5% acidity white distilled vinegar
- 8 cups water
- ½ cup pickling salt
- ¼ cup sugar
Place the mixed pickling spice in a clean spice bag or cheesecloth and add it to the brine.
Bring to a boil
Step 4 — Pack the Pint Jars
Into each pint jar, place:
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1½ fresh dill heads
Pack the cucumbers vertically into the jars.
Small 3–4 inch pickling cucumbers are ideal. If necessary, cucumbers may be cut into spears so they fit while maintaining the required headspace.
Pour the boiling pickling brine over the cucumbers.
Leave ½ inch headspace.
Remove trapped air bubbles.
Check the headspace again and add additional hot brine if necessary.
Wipe the jar rims clean.
Apply the lids and bands according to the jar manufacturer's instructions.
Step 5 — Process in the Ultra-Tech II 26-Qt.
Carefully place the filled pint jars upright into the Steamer/Canning Basket inside the Ultra-Tech II 26-Qt. Stockpot.
The jars should remain upright and should not be tightly wedged against one another.
Make sure the water covers the tops of the jars by at least 1 inch.
Place the cover on the stockpot.
Bring the water to a vigorous rolling boil.
Start your processing time when the water reaches a full rolling boil.
Pint-Jar Processing Times
0–1,000 feet: 10 minutes
1,001–6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Above 6,000 feet: 20 minutes
Maintain a continuous boil throughout the entire processing period.
If the water stops boiling, bring it back to a vigorous boil and restart the processing time.
Step 6 — Cool & Check the Seals
When processing is complete, turn off the heat and remove the stockpot cover carefully, directing steam away from your face.
Allow the jars to stand in the canner for approximately 5 minutes.
Carefully lift the jars straight up using a jar lifter.
Place them upright on a towel or cooling surface.
Do not retighten the bands.
Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.
Check each lid for a proper vacuum seal.
Any jar that fails to seal should be refrigerated.
Label and date your properly sealed jars and store them in a cool, dark, dry location.
For the best-developed dill flavor, give the pickles time to season before opening.
👨🍳 Chef Charles' Tips for Crisp Dill Pickles
Use fresh cucumbers. Same-day-picked cucumbers are ideal.
Choose 3–4 inch pickling cucumbers. They're an excellent size for whole pickles in pint jars.
Always use 5% acidity vinegar. Never reduce the amount of vinegar or increase the amount of water when making shelf-stable pickles.
Use canning or pickling salt. Iodized table salt and anti-caking ingredients can discolor the pickles or cloud the brine.
Trim the blossom end. Removing approximately 1/16 inch helps prevent enzymes from contributing to soft pickles.
Maintain the boil. Processing time begins only when the canner reaches a full rolling boil.
Don't crowd the jars. Water needs to circulate around each jar during processing.
Why Ultra-Tech II 316Ti Stainless Steel for Pickling?
Pickling brine contains vinegar and is highly acidic, making the cooking surface important.
The Ultra-Tech II 316Ti Stainless Steel cooking surface provides a durable, non-reactive surface for preparing acidic vinegar-based brines.
And when paired with the 26-Qt. Ultra-Tech II Stockpot and Steamer/Canning Basket, you have the capacity and depth needed for preparing and processing a substantial batch of homemade pint-size pickles.
From Garden to Jar
Fresh cucumbers. Dill. Vinegar. Pickling spices.
Simple ingredients transformed into an American summertime classic.
Health Craft — Helping People Live Longer, Healthier Lives Since 1970.