# Canning Pickles



## tngal71 (Aug 10, 2014)

My neighbor gave me 50 pickling cucumbers today. I have looked on internet for recipes and found that they all require cheesecloth to put pickling spices in water for canning. Do I have to do it that way> Don't have cheesecloth and nearest Walmart is 40 minutes away>>> I can mostly apples >>> make sauce, pie filling and jam>>. Have not done pickles yet. Does anyone have a good recipe for them? And can I use dried dill instead of fresh? Will it make that much of a difference? Thanks!!!


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

The reason for using the cheese cloth is to keep the spices from floating all through the brine, as you want to remove them at some point in the recipe. Any thin cotton cloth will do. Try not to use synthetic because it could react with the vinegar and cause off flavors. A piece of old t-shirt or any loose weave cloth will do the trick. A tea ball works good also.

Yes, you can use dried dill or even dill seed instead of fresh. Use about 1/3 to 1/2 as much as much called for in the recipe.

In the future, grow some fresh dill and let it go to seed and you will have a never-ending supply for years to come as it self-seeds. Also, you can pick as many heads as your recipe calls for and pack into a widemouth pint jar and stick in the freezer. It will last for years.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

OR, just pour the brine through a strainer. Fresh dill does have a different taste, not necessarily better. Many times we put in less spice, put it in the jar to add flavor, depends on personal taste....James


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

You don't need to strain the spices unless you want; I don't. It's just a personal preference. If you decide to use fresh dill you'll probably need to use more than you would if you used dried dill. 

I don't make dill pickles. You can purchase good tasting dill pickles for less than it costs in time and money to make them. My family loves lime pickles. (Well, I did until I spent the last week making them because Mom purchased three plus bushels of stupid cucumbers.) Lime pickles are unlike store pickles. The memories and taste are important to us but they are a money losing proposition. 

*Lime Pickles

Ingredients:*
7-10 pounds cucumbers
2 cups (air-slacked) lime
2 gallons cold water
2 quarts vinegar (Mom used 1-1/2.)
8 cups sugar (Mom used 6.) 
1T salt
1 ounce pickling spice (I personally like Ball best. Mrs. Wages is pretty good but is not as strong. I don't like McCormick.)
1T celery seed

*Directions:*

Wash cucumbers.
Cut cucumbers into thick slices or chunks.
Mix lime in two gallons of cold water then pour over cucumbers. The lime settles at the bottom so you might want to stir the water a couple times.
After 24 hours drain and wash cucumbers through three waters.
Cover with cold water and let stand four hours; drain.
Bring vinegar, sugar and spices to boil.
Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbrs and let stand overnight. I've let it stand a bit over 24 hours.
Set cucumbers on stove and simmer 35 minutes. 
Water bath quarts ten minutes. Turn off heat and take lid off. Leave jars in water bath an additional five minutes. (If doing pint jars water bath ten minutes total.) Add green food coloring if desired.
Mom filled hot jars with hot pickles to seal. She didn't water bath but I recently started bathing them.


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## tngal71 (Aug 10, 2014)

What is air slacked lime?:huh:


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

tngal71 said:


> What is air slacked lime?:huh:


Nowadays it's called pickling lime.


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