No Water-Bath Dill Pickles Recipe
The water-bath canning method is a common way to ensure that canned goods are safely sealed and preserved. However, it can sometimes soften the pickles more than desired and may seem intimidating to those new to canning. By skipping the water-bath, you retain the pickles' crispness, save time, and still achieve a delightful, flavorful result.
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Equipment
- 8-12 Clean and sterilized quart or pint-size glass jars with new canning lids and bands
- Stockpot
- Sheet pan
- Funnel (optional, but helpful for pouring the brine)
- Ladle for pouring brine into jars
Ingredients
- 1/2-1 bushel small pickling cucumbers (about 4-5 inches long), blossom end trimmed
- garlic, peeled, 1 per jar
- fresh dillweed, 2-3 sprigs per jar OR 1/2 tbsp/quart, 1 tsp/pint dried dillweed
- alum, 1/4 tsp/quart or 1/8 tsp/pint
- 4 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
- 3 quarts water
- 1 cup canning/pickling salt NOT iodized table salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees
- Wash your jars with hot, soapy water, and rinse them thoroughly. Let them air dry. I like to run mine through the dishwasher with the sterilize setting.
- Wash the cucumbers under cold water and trim off the blossom end, which contains enzymes that can cause softening.
- To each jar, add one clove of garlic, 1/4 tsp (per quart) or 1/8 tsp (per pint) alum, and 2-3 sprigs of fresh dillweed (or dried if using).
- Pack jars with cucumbers as tightly as possible. You may cut some in half to fill the jars completely.
- Wipe any residue from the top of the jar and place a new lid and band to fingertip tightness.
- Place cucumber-filled jars onto a sheet pan and place them in the oven. Set timer for 10-15 minutes.
- In a stockpot, combine the vinegar, water, and pickling salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the salt is fully dissolved. The mixture should be at a boil about the same time the cucumber jars have heated in the oven.
- Carefully remove a few jars at a time from the oven. The jars are very warm but manageable. Remove the lid and fill the jar with the hot brine, ensuring all the cucumbers are submerged under the brine. Leave about a 1/2 inch headspace from the top. Wipe the rim of the jar to remove any residue and replace the lid.
- Place the jars on a towel-lined surface. Cover the jars with another towel and allow to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Remove the bands and check to ensure the jars sealed. If there are a few that do not seal, place them in the refrigerator and enjoy. If many of the jars do not seal, I suggest water-bath canning the jars for 10 minutes.
Notes
*Calories are approximate
*Check your pickles on a regular basis. Any jar that becomes unsealed must be discarded. As an alternative, you can use this recipe and store all of the jars in the refrigerator without concern of jar seal. If you have any doubt, feel free to water-bath the pickles for 10 minutes. No water-bath dill pickles will remain sealed for well over a year, and I try to enjoy them within a years' time. Keep them in a cool, dry location and check them often.
Servings: 8 quart jars
Calories: 5kcal
