Too many cucumbers? Make a jar or two of garlic dill crock pickles — no fancy canning skills required.
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I only had four cucumber plants this year but they outdid themselves! I was overrun but didn’t have enough to warrant a serious canning effort (and didn’t really want to go there anyway) so decided try making “crock pickles” instead. Quick and easy to make and ready to eat in about a week, crock pickles keep in the refrigerator for several months.
This recipe makes about 2 quart sized jars of tightly packed pickles. The exact ratios of vinegar, water, salt, and seasonings aren’t critical and can be adjusted to taste, doubled, or divided in half based on how many pickles you’re making. I’d never made pickles or canned anything ever before and mine turned out great so you know they’re easy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Enough cucumbers to fill (2) 1 quart jars
- 1 1/3 cups vinegar
- 1/4 cup pickling salt (in the seasoning section of most grocery stores or on Amazon)
- 4 cups water
- fresh garlic (about 12 large clove segments, 6 per jar)
- fresh or dried dill leaves (about 2 heaping tbsp, 1 per jar)
Coarsely chop garlic and dill and put half of each on the bottom of your two empty jars. Add cucumbers, packing tightly. Slice them, spear them, or leave them whole depending on what you like (sliced will pickle the fastest and whole the slowest).
Add vinegar, water, and salt to a small saucepan and boil for 5 minutes, until all the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes (just until it cools slightly) and then pour the mixture over the cucumbers until each jar is full, leaving 1/2″ – 1″ of space at the top.
Add the rest of the chopped garlic and dill, cover, and refrigerate. And that’s it!
The pickles will be ready to eat in 3 – 7 days (whole cucumbers could take longer) and will keep for several months.
