Ten Quarts of Dills

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I bought 25lbs of pickling cucumbers and went to my mom's today.  I wanted her to show me how to make dill pickles.  Well it was easy.  My dad used about 7lbs and made Bread and Butter Pickles, 8 jars.  My mom and I managed to make 18 quarts of dills.  I took 10 jars and my mom had 8 and they have all the Bread and Butter Pickles too.  I'll get to eat those when I visit.

She also gave me a couple of jars of canned salmon, some cheese and some coffee she didn't like.  My husband will bring the coffee to work with him.  So it was a long day of standing on my feet which I'm not used to and my dogs are tired.

I was going to take all these pictures and then totally forgot and only took a couple of some of the jars when they were done.  They are on my phone though and I need my husband to show me how to get them off the phone and on the computer.  iTunes, need I say anymore?  The husband is at work so I'll wait till he gets home.  I'm sure you are all chomping at the bit to see some pictures of jars of dill pickles.

I promise I'll post pictures soon.


Comments

Mama Pea said…
I love to see pictures of jars of anything preserved! I think making pickles is one of my favorite things when it comes preserving. 'Course, I really like pickles . . . both bread and butter and dills.
5:51 PM
Sparkless said…
Mama Pea, my mom doesn't use a hot water bath with her dill pickles which kind of has me worried. She has the jars hot, packs them with the cukes and seasons then pours the hot brine over them. Then she puts the hot lid on and screws the rims on. You have to watch to make sure which ones don't seal properly. I think we had two jars that didn't seal properly. I put them in the fridge.
Everywhere else says to use the hot water method but pickles turn out mushy when you use it.
Is my mom the only one who does pickles this way?
6:24 PM
Sparkless said…
Oh and my dad did use the hot water bath for the bread and butter pickles because it doesn't matter if they get a bit soft.
6:25 PM
Mama Pea said…
I do hot water bath both my bread and butter and dill pickles and have had good luck with the dills staying crunchy. I've found the secret with them is to pick the cucs before they get big. I try to get them when they're no bigger than 3 or 3-1/2" long. That works for me.

Hope you have a good Sunday!
5:25 AM
Sparkless said…
Mama Pea, I've also heard putting a grape leaf in the bottom of the jar helps to keep them crunchy. My mom uses alum (I think that's what she said it was) in each jar to help keep them crunchy.
I think next time I'll do the hot water bath cause now I'm worried.
5:35 PM
Erin said…
Congrats on those pickles, I love looking at jars of canned goods so I will be looking forward to those photos! Hey those grape leaves definitely work, and I've done pickles that way too but I store them in the fridge just in case :) "Refrigerator Pickles" will keep a long time (many months) in there so don't worry, you will use them up and they will still be good if they are in the fridge.
10:54 AM
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