The dill is flowering and the cucumbers are stacking up--must mean it’s pickling season! Farmer Nathan and his wife found themselves with a few free hours and all the ingredients on hand to kick off this year’s canning marathon. Dill flowers add a touch of beauty to canned goods pantry. The following recipe is based off the Ball Book of Canning dill pickle recipe:
Yield: 6 - 1 pt canning jars
4-lbs pickling cucumbers (or larger sliced to 5-ish inches)
4 cups water
3 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP pickling spice
6-12 dill flowers (1-2 per jar)
Wash cucumbers and slice into slivers or coins (personal preference).
Combine water, vinegar, sugar, and pickling spice in non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile start getting the canner water warming up.
Place 1-2 dill flowers into each canning jar and stuff as many cucumber slices as you can into the jar
Ladle hot pickling liquid into the jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims before topping with lids and bands (only finger-tight!)
Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes, turn off heat and let stand for 5 minutes, and then remove jars to cool. If any don’t seal, stick them in the fridge to enjoy fresh.
