My Gherkins are going crazy – as usual. So it’s time to get out the pickling jars. I did make Dill Pickles last year, following recipe that I found online. While they tasted great (very Dill-like and everything) they weren’t crunchy. Call me old-fashioned but I like my pickles to have a bit of crunch. That’s the whole point isn’t it.
So, I went on the hunt for a new recipe. Blimey! What a can of worms that is? There are literally thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of recipes available. And, I’m sure it’s not just me, but they all seemed to be slightly different. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive ‘right way’ to make Dill Pickles.
So, what’s a girl to do? Make one up of course! The recipe below is a half-way house between what most recipes suggest you do and what actually worked for me last year. Some recipes tell you to boil the cucumbers before bottling but some say use them raw. I’ve opted to use them raw because that seemed the most likely way to conserve the elusive crunch.
I’m using mostly Gherkins but I also threw in some of my Crystal Apple Cucumbers that are ready now (seeds courtesy of Victoriana Nursery. Thanks!)
My Dill Pickle Recipe
This roughly makes one jar. If you want to increase the amounts just remember that you need double the amount of water to vinegar.
- 1 cup of pickling vinega
- 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
- 1 clove of garlic
- Dill (heads will do)
- Pickling jar
- 2 tablespoons of salt dissolved in 400ml of water
Method:
Soak the Gherkins overnight in a salt-water solution. Make sure the water covers them.
Boil your jar or run through the dishwasher on sterilise.
Put in one teaspoon of mustard seeds, a peeled clove of garlic and the Dill. Pack in your Gherkins.
Put the vinegar and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Pour into the jar until the Gherkins are covered. Seal and process (boil the jar upright in water) for 30 mins.
