Dill Pickle Spears Recipes

GRANDMA'S DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• In a stockpot, bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil; boil 10 minutes. Pack cucumbers into nine hot quart jars within 1/2 in. of top. Place one dill head, two garlic cloves and two peppers in each jar. , Carefully ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. . Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

DILL PICKLE SPEARS

Steps:

• Place cucumbers in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, dill seed, and garlic with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve; pour over cucumbers.
• Use a small plate to submerge cucumbers in liquid. Refrigerate until cool, at least 2 hours.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

Steps:

• 1 Rinse the cucumbers under cold running water, and trim any that are longer than 5 inches so that they'll fit comfortably in the jar. Cut each cucumber lengthwise into quarters. Place the spears in a large, clean container (such as a 12- to 18-quart food-safe plastic pail or basin). Combine 1 gallon of the water and 6 tablespoons of the salt in a large pitcher, stirring until the salt dissolves. Pour over the cucumbers; cover and let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Drain; rinse under cold running water, and drain. 2 Combine remaining 1 quart water, vinegar, next 2 ingredients, and remaining 1⁄4 cup salt in a stainless-steel or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. 3 Place 2 of the dill sprigs and 1 teaspoon of the mustard seeds into a hot jar, and pack tightly with the cucumber spears. Ladle the hot pickling liquid over the spears, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Add 1⁄8 teaspoon Ball® Pickle Crisp® Granules to jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place the jar in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all the jars are filled. 4 Process the jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.

DILL PICKLE SPEARS

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers well with cold water. Trim blossom ends and quarter cucumbers lengthwise. Place in large bowl with turmeric. Pour boiling water over cucumbers; stir well. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Drain. Rinse and drain again.
• Place 1/2 tablespoon each dill seed and dill weed, and 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic in each of 6 hot sterilized wide-mouth, pint canning jars.
• Mix remaining ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve salt.
• Meanwhile, firmly pack cucumber wedges vertically into jars. Ladle hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Run thin, non-metallic utensil down inside of jars to remove air bubbles. Wipe rim of jars clean with damp cloth. Cover jars with metal lids and screw on bands.
• Process in boiling water canner at 180° to 190°F (simmering water) for 15 minutes. After processing jars, remove from water bath canner. Cool at room temperature on towel or rack for 12 to 24 hours. Check for seal.

QUICK SWEET-AND-SOUR PICKLE SPEARS

Steps:

• Fit the cucumbers, dill and garlic into a 1-quart Mason jar. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot mixture into the jar with the cucumbers and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight. The pickles will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Stir water, vinegar, sugar, and sea salt together in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and cool completely.
• Combine cucumber spears, garlic cloves, and fresh dill in a large glass or plastic container. Pour cooled vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture. Seal container with lid and refrigerate for at least 3 days.

RICK FIELD'S CUMIN LIME DILL PICKLE SPEARS

Steps:

• Place 6 clean 1-pint jars right side up on a rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot water, about 1-inch above the tops of jars. Boil jars over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove and drain hot sterilized jars one at a time, reserving hot water for processing filled jars. Place jars on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
• In another large pot filled with water, bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to a simmer, add clean lids and lid rings. Simmer lids for 10 minutes; do not boil, as this may cause problems in sealing jars. Drain lids and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, mix together 4 cups of water with vinegar, salt, lime juice, and cumin. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Whisk brine mixture occasionally to ensure that salt dissolves and cumin is evenly distributed.
• Divide peppercorns, garlic, pickling spice, and dill flowers or sprigs evenly between sterilized jars. Slice cucumbers lengthwise into 4 to 6 wedges. If cucumbers are longer than 4 inches, trim to size. Fill jars snugly with cut cucumbers, leaving just enough room to remove a spear with relative ease.
• Return brine mixture to a boil and transfer to a heatproof glass measuring cup with a spout. Pour the brine mixture, whisking as necessary, into the jars up to the fill line, making sure all solids are covered.
• Put lids and rings on jars and tighten; do not over-tighten. Reheat water in the canner until it reaches at least 180 degrees, within 10 minutes of filling the jars. Place filled jars into the canner one at a time, using a jar lifter that is securely positioned below the neck of the jar. Keep jars upright at all times.
• Add more boiling water, if needed, so that water covers jars by at least 1-inch. Increase heat to high and cover. Once water begins boiling, heat jars for 7 minutes. Turn off heat and gently transfer jars to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, taking care not to tilt jars and spacing each jar at least 1-inch apart. Avoid placing jars on a cold surface or near a cold draft.
• Let jars sit undisturbed until fully cooled, 12 to 24 hours. Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until jar has cooled completely.
• Once jars have cooled completely, test to make sure each jar is completely sealed. Press down on the middle of the lid with a finger. If lid springs up when finger is released, the jar is unsealed. Store sealed jars in a cool place for at least 2 and up to 4 weeks to allow flavors to thoroughly combine. If any of the jars are unsealed, store in the refrigerator and use within several days. Always refrigerate pickles after opening.

FRIED PANKO-DIPPED PICKLE SPEARS

Steps:

• Heat oil in deep fryer or 12-inch skillet to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, in shallow bowl, stir together flour and dressing mix. In another shallow bowl, beat eggs with whisk. In third shallow bowl, place bread crumbs.
• Dip each pickle spear into flour mixture, then into egg. Dip into flour a second time, then into egg a second time. Coat pickle spear with bread crumbs.
• After all pickles have been breaded, fry in hot oil 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, or until deep golden brown. Drain fried pickles on cooling rack or paper towels.

REFRIGERATOR GARLIC DILL SPEARS

Steps:

• Divide garlic, dill, and peppercorns between 2 clean quart jars. Wash cucumbers and trim away blossom ends. Cut each into 6 to 8 spears. Pack spears vertically and snugly into jars.
• Stir together vinegar, water, and salt in a small nonreactive pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir and reduce heat, if necessary, until salt dissolves. Remove from heat. Pour or ladle hot brine into jars, covering cucumbers and leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Tap jars gently to remove any air bubbles. Add more brine if necessary to leave 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel.
• Let cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour. Apply clean lids. Refrigerate at least 48 hours before eating for best flavor. (Flavor improves with time.) Store in refrigerator up to 1 month.

REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Bring the vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, place the peppercorns, red pepper flakes, dill and garlic in a 1-quart Mason (or other glass) jar. Pack the cucumbers in the jar as tightly as possible.
• Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers so the cucumbers are completely submerged. Leave uncovered and allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day before using. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLE SPEARS

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers well with cold water. Trim blossom ends, cut lengthwise into spears and place spears in a large bowl.Pour boiling water over cucumbers and let stand at room temperature 3 hours; drain. Rinse and drain again.
• Place 1/2 tablespoon dill seed, 1 teaspoons each dill weed and mustard seed, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic in each of 3 hot, sterilized quart canning jars. Pack cucumber spears vertically into jars.
• Mix white vinegar, pickling salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Ladle over cucumbers, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Cover jars with metal lids and allow to cool. Screw on bands.Shake jars to redistribute seasonings and blend flavors.
• Refrigerate pickles. These will be ready in about 7 days. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

OLD-FASHIONED GARLIC DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Place five garlic clove halves and five dill heads in each of three hot 1-quart jars. Pack cucumbers into jars to within 1/2 in. of the top., In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar, salt and pepper flakes to a boil. Carefully ladle hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add remaining five garlic clove halves to each jar. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.