Canning pickles is a delightful blend of tradition, creativity, and satisfaction. The process begins with selecting fresh cucumbers and crafting the perfect brine—a balance of vinegar, salt, and spices. As jars seal with a satisfying pop, there’s a sense of accomplishment in preserving food by hand. Pickling allows for endless flavor experimentation, from classic dill to spicy garlic or sweet bread-and-butter. Sharing homemade pickles with friends and family brings joy and pride, while seeing pantry shelves fill up is deeply rewarding. Canning pickles is more than preserving vegetables—it’s preserving memories, flavors, and the pleasure of self-sufficiency.
I have personally canned several hundred quarts of pickles over the years…with a lot of trial and error to get them just where I like them. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of recipes available on the internet and in private recipes boxes for canning pickles. Sampling all the various options that are available can be an exhausting but fun process. To suit your personal taste, tweaking and adjusting your brine till you get it exactly right could take years. One of the easiest methods for getting a recipe is to simply just ask the person for their recipe if you like their pickles…usually they are more than happy to share their secrets.
I am glad to share a couple of my favorite recipes that have been passed down in our family and enjoyed for generations.
Old-Fashioned Bread-and-Butter Pickles
These bread-and-butter pickles are a little less sweet than most…you can increase the sugar if you like. Some people also add a little ground clove and you might try some diced red pepper in place of some of the onions.
• You will need approximately 6 pounds of 4 to 5-inch pickling cucumbers
• 2 pounds of small onions…sliced into thin rounds
• ½ cup of pickling salt
• 4 ½ cups cider vinegar
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of celery seeds
• 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds
Gently wash the cucumbers and remove the blossom end. Slice the cucumbers crosswise 1/16 inch thick. In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers and onions with the salt. Cover the cucumbers with ice cubes and let stand for 3 to 4 hours.
Drain the cucumbers. In a large nonreactive pot (stainless steel or glass) bring the remaining ingredients to a boil. Add the cucumbers and slowly bring the contents back to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, pack the cucumbers loosely in 8 pints or 4-quart mason jars. Close the jars with hot two-piece caps.
To ensure a good seal, process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath or for 5-6 minutes in a steamer. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating.
Dill Pickles (Mary Mayle’s recipe)
Wash freshly picked pickles with a brush under cold water and pack into quart jars.
To each quart add:
• 1 tbl. Pickling salt
• 1 tsp. dill seed
• ½ tsp. mustard seed
• 1/8 tsp. powdered alum (makes then crispy)
• ½ clove garlic, sliced
• ¼ small hot pepper
Cover with a solution made from (3 parts water and 1 part vinegar) stirred together before pouring on the pickles.
Cold-pack for 5 minutes after the water comes to a boil.
(Important) resist the urge to open and eat immediately…let them sit for at least two weeks so the flavor will be absorbed. Enjoy!
