Let's Make an Easy Dill Pickle

I'm not sure what it is about kids and dill pickles, but they just seem to go together.  My girls love pickles of all varieties, they especially like a good sour one.  When my Mom passed on a huge pile of cucumbers I knew I had to make some pickles with them.  For several years now my mom has made a family recipe of refrigerator pickles.  They are a tasty sweet and sour pickle. My sweet Mom had just given me a giant jar of those pickles so I decided to make a dill refrigerator pickle.  After looking at several recipes I used a basic brine recipe and added what I thought the pickles needed.  From start to finish this took me about an hour.  I feel like that small amount of time is so well spent.  It brings me such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when I see my family enjoying good foods that I make.  God has given me this time to bless my family.  Stay at home mama or not I think all women enjoy that feeling.  If you work you could throw these together in an evening with your kids.  Ella washed the cucumbers and then stuffed all of the jars with cucumbers for me and did a great job.  We had a really fun time making them!

Ella washing all of these cucumbers while I sliced them.

What you will need?

2 lbs of cucumbers (I used homegrown, you could get seedless cucumbers from the store.)
1 1/2 cups vinegar
2 cups water
1/8 cup sugar
4 tsp salt
2 tsp mustard seeds
3 tsp dried dill
2 tsp dill seed
3 tsp peppercorns
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
5 cloves of garlic
jars (the amount of jars you need will depend on how tightly you stuff the cucumbers into the jars)

First I cut all of my cucumber into spears, leaving the skins on. In each of your jars sprinkle a small amount of dill weed and a couple peppercorns.  I'm not sure if this changes the taste, but it makes the pickles look pretty.

Next take your spears and put them in your jars.  You will have to pack them in very tightly.  Once the hot liquid hits the cucumbers they will shrink a little, so squish them all in. On the stove top combine all of your spices and the liquid ingredients.  Allow this to come to a boil and then let it simmer for a couple minutes.  Now you are ready to pour your very hot brine over the cucumbers placed in the jars.

 After you have poured the brine into the jars all of the spices and garlic cloves will be left in the bottom of your pan. I took a spoon and put a little scoop in each jar.  Put your lids on and let them cool, then place them in your refrigerator.  I read that these they will keep for up to a year, they will never last that long here.  These pickles MUST be refrigerated, the jars will seal but cannot be left out.  One recipe I read said to wait 2 weeks to eat the pickles, we dove into ours the very next day and they definitely tasted like a pickle!

If they look tasty.. it is because they are!
(This is more than one batch of pickles, if you only make one batch you won't have as many.)

I hope that if you get a chance you will try these!  Your kids, grand-kids, or friends will be giving your homemade pickles rave reviews!

Enjoy your weekend!

Melissa