Old Fashioned 9 Day Pickles Recipe (hot water bath method & canning tips!)

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: agave syrup

Honey adds sweetness with a unique flavor profile.

white vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: distilled vinegar

Apple cider vinegar offers a milder taste.

fresh dill

🥗Healthier: dill weed

💰Cheaper: dried dill

Dried dill is more accessible and lasts longer.

onions

🥗Healthier: green onions

💰Cheaper: shallots

Shallots provide a milder onion flavor.

Layer 10 pounds of pickling cucumbers in an enamel pot.

Add 2 cups of pickling salt over the cucumbers.

Cover the cucumbers with boiling water and weigh them down with a jar of water.

Let the cucumbers sit for 3 days in the saltwater brine.

On day 4, drain the saltwater brine and cover the cucumbers with boiling water again, replacing the weight.

On day 5, drain the water and cover with boiling water again, replacing the weight.

On day 6, rinse the cucumbers in cold water, then make a brine with 10 cups of white vinegar, 6 cups of granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of pickling spice, bringing it to a boil.

Pour the boiling brine over the drained cucumbers and replace the weight.

Cover with cheesecloth to keep fruit flies out.

On day 7, drain the brine and add 3 more cups of sugar to it, bringing it to a boil before pouring it over the cucumbers and replacing the weight.

On day 8, repeat the process of draining the brine, adding 3 more cups of sugar, boiling it, and pouring it over the cucumbers again.

On day 9, prepare a canning pot for a hot water bath.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: