Home Canned Dill Pickles

These yummy dill pickles are great for fresh eating on sandwiches, in relishes and even on salads. This recipe is one that came from mom and she usually makes this recipe along with my favorite sweet dill pickles that I use in absolutely everything that calls for pickles. This pickle recipe will works great for tartar sauce and sandwich spread recipes when you want a less sweet flavor.

-pickling cucumbers, enough to fill 9 canning jars
-fresh dill
-1-2 large onions, sliced
-cold water
-vinegar (good idea to refrigerate it overnight so it is cold)
-canning salt
-sugar
-9 wide mouth canning jars, rings & lids

Wash your cucumbers. If they’re small, you can leave them whole, but you can also cut them into quarters lengthwise, chunk them or slice them. Place 2 heads of dill, ½ teaspoon canning salt, and one slice of onion on the bottom of each jar. Pack in the cucumbers as tight you can, but leave room for another head of dill and slice of onion, which you place on top along with another ½ teaspoon canning salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Leave at least 1/2 inch from the top of the jar.

In a kettle, put your lids and rings in, with enough water to cover them and bring them to a boil. Pour ½ cup of the cold vinegar into each jar and fill the rest of each jar (leave ½ inch of space from the top) with cold water. Place one lid on each jar and screw on a ring.

Place the quart jars in a canner (these pickles aren't pressure canned but the canner works really well for this job) and cover with water. Put the cover on and bring them to a boil. When the pickles are boiling, turn off the heat. Leave the canner on the stove undisturbed until the cucumbers turn color (from bright cucumber green to the olive colored pickle green).