Homemade Kosher Dill Pickles

I am a pickle lover!

Actually, I am a pickle snob...  yes, I admit it.

I love dill pickles... Kosher dills to be exact. :)

If I could purchase kosher dills on a regular basis, the only brand I would purchase is Claussen... They are the absolute BEST!  great flavor and, the most important thing, great CRUNCH! :)

Flimsy pickles just don't cut it... at all.

I grew up in a Southern family who believed in canning as much as they believed in the Bible.  However, the only pickles I ever remember being made were bread and butter pickles... no thanks.  I've recently started eating them (because my MIL gives us tons she cans every year), but because of this I've never had a desire to make my own pickles.

Then the thought hit me... DUH, make my own dills!  Kosher dills in fact!

It just so happens my inlaws garden has the BEST year of cucumbers this year, and I am on the receiving end of most of that.  So I took my 50 or so cucumbers, and turned them into Kosher dills... I was nervous, wondering about the flavor and of course the crunch, but was VERY excited when they turned out tasting 99% like Claussen's!!

My sister, who is also a pickle snob, came and tested them, and agreed with me!  YAY!

Here's a little photo array of how I made my pickles.  This is not a 'how to', so I take no responsibility if you attempt this just by my photos. ;)  But I do recommend trying it!  SO cheap and SO easy! :)


The best cucumbers to use are 3-5 inches in length, and still have the spiky things on them.  Ignore the bigger ones in the picture... we just ate those as is. :)  Wash cucumber thoroughly.

Cut ends off cucumbers and slice however you want.  I did halves and chips.  

Thank you to my Pampered Chef Mandolin for slicing my cucumbers quickly and ripply. :)

Fill jars with sliced cucumbers.  Leave 1/4 inch space at top.  I used pint jars for most of mine, because that's the most jars I have, but next year would like to do more quarts. :)

I researched Kosher dill seasonings online, and this was the best I found.  Ball's Kosher Dill.  It comes in smaller packages too, but I knew I would be doing a lot.  I actually ran out of it and will have to get another one for the new batch of cucumbers I just got on Saturday!  When I went to get this, I noticed the small jar of 'pickling crunch' beside it.  Now the seasoning itself is supposed to make crunchy pickles, but because I'm a crunchy pickle snob, I went ahead and got the little jar too. :)  It only takes 1/8 tsp per pint, so this should last me a few years! :)

Following the directions on the seasoning, I added water and vinegar and boiled.  Then I poured the hot liquid over the pickles, filling until 1/4 inch from the top of the jar.

Pickles do not need pressure canned, which makes them SO easy!  You can actually do them two ways: water bath or cold pack.  Water bath means submerging them in water and boiling for 5-10 minutes.  they will then seal when cooling down. These last for years! Cold packing means simply sticking them in the fridge.  They only last 3 months (like they're gonna last that long around here), but if you have room, I suggest doing some this way.  I water bathed most of mine, but did stick several in the fridge.  Pickles are ready to eat after 24 hours.  Obviously let them sit longer for a stronger flavor.

So easy, so fun, and SOOOO YUMMY!!! :)