Homemade Pickles

For the last few years, our friends Laura and Stephen have been making the most incredible pickles. They grow their own cucumbers and then make pickles! We are always begging to take some home when we visit. They are crisp and delish, exactly what you want in a pickle. They even started making some hot ones which Brian loves. 

So for the last couple years, Brian and I have been saying were going to make our own when my grandparents bring us pickles. But we never do. Until this year! Mamaw and Papaw dropped off a ton of homegrown pickles one day, so during naptime I went to work.

They are good but a little salty. Brian says the hot ones are perfect. I will def try again next time we have cucumbers. In the meantime, feel free to try yourself :) 

Dill Pickles

Ingredients: 
1 gallon of cucumbers (do not use the store bought regular cucumbers with the wax on them - use pickling cucumbers or garden fresh cucumbers)

1/3 cup dried minced onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds

6 heads fresh dill

1 1/2 quarts water (this is equal to 6 cups)

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup canning salt

Directions:

Wash and slice cucumbers lengthwise into spears. Add the dill (heads only - not stems) into the jars first, then put in the sliced/spears/cucumbers until your jar is full.

Boil liquids and all seasonings/remaining ingredients (minced onion, chopped garlic, mustard seeds, water, vinegar and canning salt) until the salt dissolves, then let cool (doesn't have to be completely cold, just cool). Pour the cooked mixture over the pickles/dill in the jar, cover with jar lid, and let sit on counter for three days turning them occasionally (we just put a towel over the lid - so as not to leak - and turned the jar upside down and did easy shakes, and returned to upright). After 3 days on the counter, refrigerate overnight. Now try one! Crunch! YUM!

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