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Jimmy's Dills

Source of Recipe

From "Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen" by Sara Foster


Recipe Introduction

"My dad's crunchy, garlicky dills accompanied the majority of the sandwiches I ate as a child. They were perfectly crisp every time — that satisfying snapping sound accompanying each bite was one of the best things about them — a feat my dad achieved simply by using small, firm, freshly picked cucumbers. Try to pick cucumbers that are already short enough to fit easily in the jar, about 4 inches long for pint jars. Or, for unexpected shape, taste, and color, make them using round yellow lemon cucumbers cut into wedges."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 20 to 22 small Kirby cucumbers (about 3 ½ pounds)
â—¦ 12 sprigs fresh dill
â—¦ 12 small chile peppers
â—¦ 12 garlic cloves
â—¦ 4 cups distilled white vinegar
â—¦ 2 cups water
â—¦ â…“ cup kosher salt
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sugar
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dill seeds
â—¦ 3 bay leaves
â—¦ 10 whole black peppercorns
â—¦ 10 whole cloves


Recipe

Rinse the cucumbers, drain, and trim and slice each lengthwise into 4 wedges. If preserving the pickles, sterilize six 1-pint heat-tempered canning jars.

To each jar, add 2 dill sprigs, 2 chile peppers, and 2 garlic cloves. Tightly pack the cucumber wedges in the hot jars, leaving about ½ inch of headspace to ensure a proper seal.

Combine the vinegar, water, salt, sugar, dill seeds, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers, maintaining the ½-inch headspace.

For refrigerator pickles, seal the jars tightly and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 2 weeks to allow the flavors to develop before serving. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, or for up to 1 month.

For preserved pickles, process in a hot water bath for about 20 minutes to vacuum-seal. Let cool to room temperature, check the seal, and store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks to allow the flavors to develop before serving, or for up to 6 months. Refrigerate after opening.

Makes 6 pints