Aunt Agnes' Garlic Dill Pickles

"I can think of no better contribution a cucumber can make than becoming a pickle! This recipe is another handwritten family cookbook classic from my step-grandmother and great aunt, Agnes (oh, these convoluted Southern families ;). It is important to make sure your vinegar is of a high quality--don't go generic. We usually use Heinz brand. Also, this recipe is for 7-8 quarts, so adjust accordingly based on how many cucumbers you have (or their size!)."
 
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photo by Chipfo photo by Chipfo
photo by Chipfo
photo by Chipfo photo by Chipfo
Ready In:
504hrs 30mins
Ingredients:
6
Yields:
7-8 quarts
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ingredients

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directions

  • Wash and pack your cucumbers in clean jars.
  • Add 1 tsp dill seed or a pinch of fresh dill and one clove of garlic (if cloves are small, use 2) per quart.
  • Combine vinegar, water and salt and bring to a boil.
  • Pour or ladle liquid mixture into jars; wipe rims, place lids and screw on bands fingertip-tight.
  • Process them in a boiling water bath for ten minutes; let cool undisturbed on a protected countertop until completely cool or overnight.
  • Store them for 21 days.
  • Put in refrigerator and let chill at least 24 hours before opening.

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Reviews

  1. This is the exact recipe that my grandmother made when I was growing up. We loved them so much that one summer she made over 100 quarts for us (yes, 100 quarts all from this recipe). Now I make them for my family, and we love them. *Tip: my grandmother used to throw several towels and the cukes in the washing machine on the delicate cycle. They come out perfectly clean and unbruised. Much easier than washing them by hand.
     
  2. These pickle are great. A friend's daughter, 16, is a pickle lover I am always buying her those huge pickles out of the jar, she loves these. Only thing I did different was to add red pepper flakes for a little zip, will definately make these again.
     
  3. We made this recipe with Wal-Mart generic vinegar, used fresh dill (2 sprigs per jar), and the chopped garlic in a jar (can be found in most produce sections.) The pickles made my hubby happy, and he's a huge garlic critic. Would higly recommend this recipe.
     
  4. This was my first attempt at making pickles. I cut the recipe in half and ended up with 3 quarts. The first I made exactly according to the recipe, the second I made with a few shakes of crushed red pepper and minced garlic instead of a whole garlic clove, and the third I added a roasted red pepper to. They all turned out great with our favorite being the second jar with the crushed red pepper. We liked the spice, but agree with some other reviews saying that there is a bit too much salt! I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you!
     
  5. I added pepper corns to each jar, these are the pickles I will be making from now on!
     
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Tweaks

  1. This was my first attempt at making pickles. I cut the recipe in half and ended up with 3 quarts. The first I made exactly according to the recipe, the second I made with a few shakes of crushed red pepper and minced garlic instead of a whole garlic clove, and the third I added a roasted red pepper to. They all turned out great with our favorite being the second jar with the crushed red pepper. We liked the spice, but agree with some other reviews saying that there is a bit too much salt! I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm an amateur foodie who loves to cook, something I only discovered in my mid-twenties. I never felt I had an aptitude for it, but when I started experimenting in the kitchen, I soon found I couldn't stop! Both of my parents cook--my father's background is Pennsylvania Dutch, and he (like his own father before him) makes huge pots of soups and stews that are "vonderful good." My mom is from the Deep South, and brought me up to use the Louisiana "Holy Trinity" of bell peppers, onions and celery in just about everything ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_trinity_(cuisine) ). I have a very adventurous palate and one of my favourite kinds of food is Middle Eastern. For two years, I kept to a vegetarian diet--I don't anymore, but I still don't eat a great deal of meat, especially if it isn't fish or poultry. UPDATE: I'm back on a largely vegetarian kick, supplemented every now and then by a bit of fish. I've just got a fantastic new blender, also, and I'm making heaps of healthy smoothies at home... all fruit will fall to my whirling blades!
 
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