Pickles!

I'm not sure I am ready for it...but, it is here. It is pickle season! Last year we canned about 50 jars of pickles. Some quart, pint and gallon jars. Our goal this year is 100 jars! Some family and friends LOVE my homemade dill pickles. For them, I am posting step by step instructions, so they can make their own! HA This is my Grandma Betty's recipe. She used to have her pantry stocked full with jars of pickles. She quit making them about the time Luke and I got married. After we got married, Luke started growing a garden each year. So, I started making pickles.

Here is what you need:

Mason Jars, Lids, Rings, Pickling Salt, Vinegar, Water, Dill, Grape Leaves and Cucumbers.

Step 1: Wash cucumbers and grape leaves. You can wash the dill if you want. I do not wash the dill. I want to preserve all the flavor!

Step 2: Place 1 grape leaf and 1 sprig of dill in the bottom of the mason jar.

Step 3: Stuff the jar with cucumbers. Put as many as possible in the jar. Pack them in there tightly.

Step 4: Place 1 grape leaf and sprig of dill on top of the cucumbers.

This is what they look like so far.

Recipe For The Brine:

1 Scant Cup of Pickling Salt

2 Quarts Water (4 Cups = 1 Quart)

1 Quart Vinegar

Step 5: In a large pan, boil salt, vinegar and water.

Step 6: In a small pan boil some water for the lids.

Place the lids only (no rings) into the small boiling pan of water. This heats the rubber on the ring, which makes the lid seal to the jar. When the large pan of brine begins to boil, it is ready. I use a ladle or a cup to scoop the brine. I also do one jar at a time instead of filling them all up. This ensures they are hot when you place the lid on, which helps them seal. So, pour the hot brine into one of the jars, all the way to the top. It is OK if it runs over. Remove a lid from the boiling water and place it on the jar. You might have to use your tongs or a fork to move the dill away from the edge. Sometimes the dill tries to get between he rubber seal and the jar. This will cause it to not seal. After you have the lid on, screw on the ring. You will need a towel to hold onto the jar. It will be HOT. Do this to all the jars. Here they are!

The cucumbers will turn a fluorescent green. This is normal. The color will change back. Most of them make a loud popping sound when they seal. I heard two of mine seal while I was cleaning up. Don't worry if you don't hear all of them pop. They will probably still seal. Run your hand over the lid and see if it is raised or flat. If it is flat, it sealed. If you can push the lid up and down, it did not seal. That is OK too. Put that jar in the fridge and eat them first! If you have leftover brine, put it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. I had leftover. Most likely, I will have more cucumbers tomorrow. So, I will just boil the leftover and use it instead of making new. I usually store my brine in a mason jar. If you put a lid on it, it might seal. I use foil and a ring on mine or I use an old lid. 5 down....95 to go. Good Luck!

*Edit* I forgot something! The smaller the cucumber, the better. If you use big cucumbers they do not stay crunchy. Sometimes I have to use larger ones to fill the jar, and those are sometimes OK for slicing...but I like the smaller ones.