I'm in a Pickle

How to Make Pickles

Get your pickling cucumbers.

Make sure they are pickling cucumbers!!

Do not use English cucumbers or waxed cucumbers.

Cut your cucumbers.

I cut spears, halves and left a few whole

All cut up and ready to go!

Sterilize your Jars and lids

I cheated and used a prepared pickling spice pack.

Bring spice pack, water and vinegar to boil.

Very important: Hot Jars, Hot lids, Hot Liquid

Pouring Water out of the sterilized Jar.

Note the Jar Puller. Essential Canning Item!!

Pack your pickles into Hot Jars

Note : In the future I will get wide mouth jars. It was a little hard packing the pickles with the smaller opening.

Place Hot Pickling Liquid into the Jar

Wipe rim of Jar

Place hot lid on Jar

*Missing Picture here

Place filled Jars with lids and screw top into water bath and process for 15 minutes.

Processing is simply boiling for 15 minutes

Pull Jars after 15 minutes and let cool

Listen for the Ping Sound as the Jars seal

If the Jars do not seal, place in refrigerator and eat after 2 weeks.

Finished Product !

Let set on shelves for 4 to 6 weeks for full flavor to develop

This yielded 4 Quart Jars of Pickles

And that is how you make pickles!