We had a Water Bath Canning Demonstration at our N.C. Cooperative Extension, Wake County Center!

• Pickles
• Jams
• Jellies

Ingredients:

• 8 lbs of 3- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers
• 2 gallons water
• 1¼ cups canning or pickling salt
• 1½ quarts vinegar (5% acidity)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons whole mixed pickling spice
• About 3 tablespoons whole mustard seed (2 tsp to 1 tsp per pint jar)
• About 14 heads of fresh dill (1½ heads per pint jar) or 4½ tablespoons dill seed (1½ tsp per pint jar)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Cucumbers:
   • Wash the cucumbers thoroughly.
   • Cut a 1/16-inch slice off the blossom end of each cucumber and discard it. Leave about ¼ inch of the stem attached.
   • Dissolve ¾ cup salt in 2 gallons of water. Pour this solution over the cucumbers and let them stand for 12 hours. Then, drain the cucumbers. 
2. Make the Pickling Brine:
   • In a large pot, combine vinegar, ½ cup salt, sugar, and 2 quarts water.
   • Tie the mixed pickling spices in a clean white cloth, and add it to the pot.
   • Heat the mixture to boiling. 
3. Fill the Jars: .
   • Pack the drained cucumbers into clean pint jars
   • Add 1 teaspoon mustard seed and 1½ heads of fresh dill (or 1½ teaspoons dill seed) to each pint jar.
   • Pour the boiling pickling solution over the cucumbers, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
4. Seal and Process the Jars:
   • Adjust the lids on the jars according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
   • Process the jars in a boiling-water canner according to the times listed in Table 1 below or use the low-temperature pasteurization treatment.
   • For low-temperature pasteurization, follow specific guidelines for holding the jars at 180°F to 185°F for the recommended time.

Table 1: Recommended Processing Time for Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickles in a Boiling-Water Canner

Notes:

• Boiling-Water Canner: Be sure to read the guidelines on using a boiling-water canner before beginning.
• First-Time Canning: If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the Principles of Home Canning.

Interested in getting into home food preservation? Check out this page from NCSU Extension which covers the basics and has great links to other useful guides!

Reach out to Trevor Hyde at tphyde@ncsu.edu to see when the next demonstration day is happening in Wake County!