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Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

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July 15, 2019 by Victoria 14 Comments

Learn how to make dill pickles with this easy recipe for canning dill pickles in slices or spears! Get crunchy dill pickles without pickle crisp by using this secret ingredients!

Home canned dill pickle slices

Having a few dozen jars of home canning dill pickles in my pantry is one of my favorite sights. And canning them myself with this easy dill pickle recipe is even better!

Since I like to keep my ingredients as pure as possible, this dill pickle recipe for canning pickles is made without pickle crisp!

Yet, the dill pickles in slices or spears are still crunchy and crisp thanks to a secret ingredient!

Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

I grew up on store bought pickles. In fact, I could take down a jar of kosher dill pickle spears all by myself!

And when I started canning sweet pickles a few years back, I knew that dill pickles were going to be next on my canning list!

After a bit of experimenting, I came up with an easy and delicious dill pickle recipe that rivals any store bought pickle out there! Crisp, crunchy, with just the perfect blend of dill spices.

Dill pickle spears in a mason jar

Fortunately, our garden produces cucumbers like crazy and I'm also looking for ways to use them!

This is just ONE day of harvesting our cucumber bed. From 3 plants we get this many cucumbers every day, from May through November!

Fresh cucumbers on the kitchen counter ready for pickling

Step One:

Wash and drain cucumbers in a strainer to let the extra water drain away before canning.

Depending on how you like your pickles, you can slice them for hamburger dill pickles, or cut them in quarters lengthwise for dill spears.

Cucumbers in slices and spears for canning dill pickles

Meanwhile, combine salt, water, and vinegar in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low while you pack the jars.

Step Two:

Before packing the cucumbers into the hot jars, you need to add the spices. To each quart jar add 2 heads of dill, contents of 1 bag of black tea (not the bag itself), 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, and 2 peppercorns.

Then, you can pack cucumbers into the jars. If you are packing spears, I find that if you tilt the jar sideways, you can fit more in!

Next, cover the cucumbers with the warm vinegar mix. Be sure to leave a 1/4" headspace.

Step Three:

Remove air bubbles with a plastic canning knife and add additional liquid if needed to come back up to the 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims, then place and tighten 2-piece lids.

Process 20 minutes in a water bath canner. Remove the jars from the canner and place on a folded towel. Allow the jars to cool completely before storing.

If the jars are sticky after they have cool, wipe them down with a wet rag and dry before storing.

Note: If you have not successfully used tea in place of pickle crisp, you might want to use grape leaves instead. The black tea brand I have linked in the recipe works perfectly, but others may not.

Dill Pickles

Learn how to make dill pickles with this easy recipe for canning dill pickles in slices or spears! Get crunchy dill pickles without pickle crisp by using this secret ingredients!
4.38 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Canning Dill Pickles, Dill Pickle Recipe, Dill Pickles, How to Make Dill Pickles
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds cucumbers cut lengthwise into quarters
  • 6 tbsp canning salt
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 4 cups vinegar
  • Organic Black Tea (we use this brand) 1 bag per jar
  • Fresh dill 2 heads per jar
  • 3 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 14 whole peppercorns

Instructions

  • Wash and drain cucumbers, then slice. Combine salt, water, and vinegar in a large sauce pot and bring to a boil.
  • To each quart jar add 2 heads of dill, contents of 1 bag of black tea (not the bag itself), 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, and 2 peppercorns. Pack cucumbers into hot jars and cover with vinegar mix, leave a 1/4" headspace.
  • Remove air bubbles with a plastic canning knife, add additional liquid if needed. Wipe rims, then place and tighten 2-piece lids. Process 20 minutes in a water bath canner.

Notes

If you have not successfully used tea in place of pickle crisp, you might want to use grape leaves instead. The black tea brand I have linked in the recipe works perfectly, but others may not.
Tried this recipe?Mention @AModHomestead or tag ##amodernhomestead!

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how to can dill pickles in slices or spears

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Filed Under: All Posts, Canning, Featured Recipes, From Scratch Tagged With: Canning, Cooking, From scratch, Homestead Pantry, Homestead Skills, Snack, Water Bath Canning

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Norma says

    July 24, 2019 at 7:46 am

    Is the secret ingredient tea? Is that what keeps it crunchy?

    Also, if I don’t have fresh dill, can you give me the approximate amount of store dill?

    I can’t wait to have some of these on my pantry shelves!

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      July 24, 2019 at 8:06 am

      Hi Norma! Great questions, the amount of dried dill for one head would be 1 tablespoon of dried. So, for this recipe that would mean 2 tbsps per jar.

      I haven’t tried it with dried dill, so I’m not sure if the toast might change, but it should be fine!

      As for the secret ingredient, yep! It’s the tea! Black tea has worked the best of anything I’ve tried before at keeping pickles crisp. Delicious!

      Let me know how it goes for you!

      Reply
  2. JJo says

    July 24, 2019 at 3:13 pm

    Friend told me that, to get crisp pickles, to use grape leaves with wild vines being best. I put in 1 or 2 depending on size. It worked!

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      July 24, 2019 at 3:32 pm

      Yes! Those same tanins in the grape leaves are present in the black tea leaves. Since the tea leaves are more readily available for people, that’s what we use. So cool that you have access to grape leaves!

      Reply
  3. Nancy Toledo says

    August 13, 2019 at 6:24 pm

    How long do these jars need to sit before they are ready to be eaten? I’m anxious to try the recipe and then try the pickles!

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      August 13, 2019 at 6:28 pm

      Hi Nancy! You can eat them right away since they are canned! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

      Reply
  4. Billy says

    August 15, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    This looks like a great recipe! Can’t wait to give it a try – thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      August 15, 2019 at 4:41 pm

      Haha, thanks Billy! We love the Bubbies pickles too, of course, and we ate them for years! Just wish they were organic. Let me know if y’all ever go that way! I’d love to work together :-)

      Reply
  5. KATHLEEN ALEXANDER says

    August 19, 2019 at 11:29 pm

    Do the pick;es taste like tea?

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      August 20, 2019 at 9:57 am

      Hi Kathleen! The black tea lends to the overall flavor of the pickles, however, NO they do not taste like tea :-)

      Let me know if you try them!

      Reply
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Hi there! I’m Victoria – a work at home mom to an active 4 year old, homesteader, from scratch chef, and full time blogger!
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