Solar Dill Pickles Recipes

QUICK, FRESH-PACK DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.See full water bath canning instructions here.

3 DAY SUN PICKLES RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix water, pickling salt and vinegar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes.
• Set to the side and cool for about 5 minutes, or until luke warm.
• In a large gallon sized jar, place dill, cut onion, peeled garlic and cucumbers. Place cucumber last, and fill the jar.
• Pour warm mixture into the jar and put the lid on.
• Set jar outside in the sun for 3 days.
• After three days, open the jar and test a pickle. If it is to your liking, place the jar in the fridge. This will keep the pickles crunchy.

DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Combine the salt and water in a pitcher and stir until the salt has dissolved.
• Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly and snip off the blossom end stem. Set aside.
• Place the peppercorns, pepper flakes, garlic, dill seed and fresh dill into a 1-gallon crock. Add the cucumbers to the crock on top of the aromatics. Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers in order to completely cover. Pour the remaining water into a 1-gallon ziptop plastic bag and seal. Place the bag on top of the pickles making sure that all of them are completely submerged in the brine. Set in a cool, dry place.
• Check the crock after 3 days. Fermentation has begun if you see bubbles rising to the top of the crock. After this, check the crock daily and skim off any scum that forms. If scum forms on the plastic bag, rinse it off and return to the top of the crock.
• The fermentation is complete when the pickles taste sour and the bubbles have stopped rising; this should take approximately 6 to 7 days. Once this happens, cover the crock loosely and place in the refrigerator for 3 days, skimming daily or as needed. Store for up to 2 months in the refrigerator, skimming as needed. If the pickles should become soft or begin to take on an off odor, this is a sign of spoilage and they should be discarded.

SOUR PICKLES

Steps:

• Soak cucumbers for 30 minutes in a bowl filled with ice water to loosen any dirt. Slice the blossom end off each cucumber, which is opposite the stem end. If you aren't sure which end is which, slice a little off each. Cut cucumbers into spears or chunks, if desired.
• Pack cucumbers into one or two clean quart jars. Tuck in garlic, dill, coriander and jalapeño, if using.
• Add salt to two cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Add two cups of ice (made with filtered water if yours is chlorinated). Stir well until the ice has melted and the brine is cool. Pour brine into jars, covering cucumbers.
• Loosely cap jars and place in a bowl or pan because the jars may leak during fermentation.
• Leave pickles on the counter to ferment. The brine will bubble lazily and become cloudy. Taste after 3 days, leaving on the counter another day or two if you want your pickles more sour, or refrigerating if they're ready. They keep a month in the refrigerator.

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.

SOLAR DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Dissolve in 1 gallon glass jar.
• Pack with clean cucumbers.
• Put on lid.
• Let stand in the sun for 48 hours.
• Chill in frig until gone.

SUNSHINE DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• In a gallon glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, place a layer of dill in the bottom, then a layer of cukes; add garlic cloves if desired.
• Keep layering dill & cukes to the neck of the jar; finish with a layer of dill.
• Add vinegar and salt to the top of the jar; fill with cold tap water.
• Cover and screw on tightly (add a doubled over square of wax paper or plastic wrap if you like, too).
• Give the jar a few good shakes to distribute the salt.
• Set in a sunny spot outside for four days; mark the calendar with the "due date."
• Turn the jar slightly each day (for an even tan); leave out an extra day if rainy or cloudy.
• Chill and eat.
• IDEA: Add green or red pepper slices along with the dill for a taste explosion!
• SUGGESTION: When scrubbing the fresh cukes, sort-as-you-go into piles of uniform size. This makes filling the jar go much quicker--looks prettier too.

SPICY DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Inspect a quart-sized canning jar for cracks. Immerse in simmering water until brine is ready. Wash a new, unused lid and ring in warm soapy water.
• Combine water, vinegar, habanero peppers, garlic, serrano pepper, sugar, salt, peppercorns, pickling spice, and red pepper flakes in a pot and bring to a simmer.
• Remove pot from the burner and let the liquid cool to a warm enough temperature to handle, but not to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes; you want the heat so it will soak into the veggies.
• Place cucumbers and dill in the canning jar. Ladle the warm brine into the jar until cucumbers are covered and brine is near the top of the jar. Let cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 more minutes. Seal jar and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days before eating.