Sweet Dill Pickles
This is the only dill pickle I make. Our family loves them in chicken salad during the summer and in the winter paired with grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.
Sweet Dill Pickles
Makes 6 pints
12 fresh cucumbers (approximately)
6 grape leaves
6 fresh garlic cloves, peeled
6 fresh flowering dill sprigs
Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt or pickling salt
1 cup white vinegar
3 cups water
Slice cucumbers ¼ inch thick (you can also slice into spears). Place 1 grape leaf, 1 garlic clove, and 1 dill sprig in the bottom of each sterilized pint jar.
In a saucepan, combine syrup ingredients and heat to boiling. Pour over cucumbers, leaving a 1-inch head space. Place lids and tighten bands just until snug. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
For full flavor, allow to age for 2 weeks before opening.
TIP: The tannins in grape leaves help keep the pickles crisp. Also, a thicker-skinned cucumber stays more crisp when pickled than those with thinner skins.
Enjoy!
Hope
I'd love to hear feedback if you make this recipe! I'll take the good and the bad:) Tag recipes on instagram with #hopestable.
