These spicy dill pickles are packed full of flavor and not too sweet. I can barely keep jars of them in the pantry, because they get eaten so fast!
To make this Pickle Recipe you will need:
- cucumbers
- mandolin
- knife and cutting board
- rubber or latex gloves
- sugar
- canning/pickling salt
- white distilled vinegar
- garlic
- dry dill
- pickle crisp
- hot chili peppers
- pint or quart jars
- canner (hot water bath or Steam Canner)
- potholders
- canning tools (tongs, ladle, etc.)
- towels or cooling rack
Now the last time I made these pickles, I got very ambitious and made 36 pints at once! Yes, you read that right. So when I say Mr. Smith devours them, I am not kidding.
This recipe will make about 7 pints or 3 quarts of pickles.
When you make these pickles, you will put a hot chili pepper in each jar. I used Chinese 5 Color peppers that I grew in the garden.
You can use any hot pepper, such as a cayenne. If you don’t want the heat, you can cut the peppers in half and deseed them.
When you are working with hot peppers, ALWAYS wear gloves. The capsaicin oil can embed in your skin and be difficult to remove.
And even after many hand washes….your eyes may not be happy with you when you take your contacts out. You can guess how I know this.
NOTE: Didn’t grow chili peppers in the garden or can’t find them in the store? You can use red pepper flakes instead. Use 1/2 teaspoon per pint, 1 teaspoon per quart.
A clove of garlic goes in each jar. We really like garlic, so I put minced garlic in there.
But if you want the garlic flavor to be a little more subtle, leave the cloves whole.
One of the tricks to crispy pickles, is to always remove about 1/2 inch of the cucumber on the blossom end. There’s something about it. I don’t know what the science is, but if all the experts say to do it, there must be something to it.
The other trick, is adding pickle crisp to each jar. I add 1/8 teaspoon to each pint, or 1/4 teaspoon to quarts.
I just want to mention here that I have had a ton of questions recently about this ladle that you see in the photo below. It is a strainer ladle and is very handy when canning. I purchased mine locally at a little country store – the Dutch Oven Bakery in Falkville, Alabama.
I have found the same one available on Amazon (HERE), if you don’t happen to live in northern Alabama.
Adjustments to Canning Times for Elevation
When canning in a hot water bath canner (or steam canner) always make note of the processing time. If the recipe only has one time shown, that is generally for 1-1,000 feet of elevation. Make adjustments to the processing time according to the chart below if you live at a higher elevation.
| Elevation: | 1001-3000 ft | 3001-6000 ft | 6001-8000 ft | 8001-10,000 ft |
| Additional Processing Time: | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 15 minutes | 20 minutes |
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Our Favorite Spicy Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 8 lb cucumbers, washed and drained
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/2 c canning/pickling salt
- 1 quart water
- 1 quart white distilled vinegar
- garlic cloves, see recipe instructions
- hot chili peppers, washed and drained (see recipe instructions), See Note.
- dry dill, see recipe instructions
- pickle crisp, see recipe instructions
Instructions
- To begin, you will slice all of the cucumbers with a mandolin or knife. Discard the blossom end as you slice all of the cucumbers.
- Cut the stems from the chili peppers (use gloved hands.)
- Combine the salt, sugar, water, and vinegar in a large pot. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Place a whole or minced clove of garlic in each hot jar.
- Place a chili pepper in each jar.
- Pack the cucumber slices into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
- Add in 1/2 teaspoon of dry dill and 1/8 teaspoon pickle crisp to each pint jar. (1 tsp dill and 1/4 tsp pickle crisp for quarts.)
- Ladle the liquid into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- Use a bubble wand to remove any air pockets. Add additional liquid if needed to return the level to 1/4 inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims of the jar with a damp rag that has been dipped in white vinegar. This ensures that there is no residue and your lids can seal properly.
- Close with lids and rings.
- Process the jars in a hot water bath canner or steam canner for 15 minutes. (See chart above in the blog post for elevation adjustments.)
- Place the jars on a cooling rack or counter lined with towels in a draft-free location for 12-24 hours.
- Remove the rings, test the seals, and label the jars.
- Allow the pickles to sit for at least 2-3 days before you try them. A week would be better. This will give the cucumbers time to properly pickle in the liquid.
Notes
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
These are our favorite pickles! Easy recipe and great taste! Have made them for 2 years now with Little Leaf cucumbers from our garden. Thanks so much for sharing-
I am so glad that you love the recipe!
Great recipe! Zesty and delicious. My husband mentioned the sugar as being a bit too much. I am going to make another batch today with a bit less sugar. But to me they are perfecto! Thank you for sharing.