Pickle Your Own Dill Pickles!

If you want to make pickles but not deal with canning, then get your wide-mouthed-Mason-jar smile on because this recipe makes making pickles a snap!

I absolutely love pickles, but I hate the whole process of canning! Luckily this recipe marinates in the fridge and can last up to two months. This super easy recipe takes 10 minutes from start to finish. Many store bought pickles have an insane amount of sodium and preservatives. I cut down the salt in my recipe, and they are just as delicious.

You can play around with the recipe: add hot peppers to give them a kick, extra garlic if you like them zesty, or even a little sweetener.

Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

• 1 large Mason jar
• 4 pickling cucumbers (Kirby cucumbers)
• 10 sprigs fresh dill
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons pickling spices
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Himalayan salt

Directions:

1. Start off with Kirby cucumbers (better known as pickling cucumbers). Make sure you wash those little buggers thoroughly!
2. Quarter the cucumbers into four slices, lengthwise.
3. Peel the garlic and set aside
4. Place your mason jars in the dish washer or a hot water bath to ensure they are disinfected.
5. I bought a package of pickling spices that included mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, nutmeg and cloves but you can also just opt to add peppercorns and mustard seeds to start.
6. Place your spices, garlic, dill and cucumbers inside jars. Try to stuff as many cucumbers as you can, trust me, they go quick!
7. Place salt, vinegar and water on the stove in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and fill the Mason jar to the top. Let this come to room temperature before placing them in the fridge.
8. Now, I know it’s tempting after an hour or two to snap one of these bad boys from the fridge but patience is a virtue. It pays off. Trust me. Let them soak at least 24 hours.
9. Make sure you place a date on the jar. These will last up to two months in the fridge (if they last that long)

And voila, super easy pickling method!

Did you know that fermented pickles are a natural probiotic?