Easy Dill Pickle Spears Recipe

Canning is something I've been doing for years. Not only does it put all of my garden extras to good use, it is an affordable way to preserve food for lean months or when fresh goods are out of reach. There is really nothing better than cracking open a jar of peaches during the winter months that I had put away when they were at the peak of ripeness!

Celebrate Ball Can-It-Forward Day with this book!


One of my favorite resources is the All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. This has everything you need for basic canning recipes (such as jellies and jams) but it also includes some very new and unique recipes, as well as one-dish dinners you are able to can from your groceries each week and eat during busy days!

I selected one recipe to make from the book to share with you. Since this was the first year we had an abundance of pickling cukes, I chose the Dill Pickle Spears Recipe.

You'll need:

  • 4 lbs pickling cukes
  • 1 gallon water
  • 10 tbsp Ball salt for Pickling and Preserving (divided)
  • 1 quart water
  • 3 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
  • 2 tbp sugar
  • 1 tbsp pickling spice
  • 12 dill sprigs
  • 2 tbsp mustard seeds

Wash and trim the cukes, making them small enough to fit into pint jars. Cut them into spears and put them into a container to soak. (I use a pitcher with a lid to keep flies and bugs out.) Combine the gallon water and 6 tbsp salt before pouring over the cukes. Allow to sit, covered, for 24 hours.

After they have brined. Combine the quart water and next 3 ingredients in a saucepan (not an aluminum one) and bring to a boil. Put the dill and mustard seeds in clean, hot jars before adding the tightly packed cukes. Cover with the hot pickling liquid, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add Pickle Crisp, if you wish. Remove air bubbles, wipe down jar rim, and center lid on jar before adding the ring. Tighten and repeat until all are filled.

Process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Turn off heat, remove lid, and let jars sit for 5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool. Let them sit for 24 hours before storing or eating!

Celebrate Ball Can-It-Forward Day with this book!

Celebrate Ball Can-It-Forward Day with this book!

Celebrate Ball Can-It-Forward Day with this book!


I really liked that this required a few ingredients and that the processing time was very brief (just 10 minutes). The majority of the time spent was when I brined it for 24 hours -- but the salt did all the work!


Celebrate Ball Can-It-Forward Day with this book!

I really liked the texture of these pickles, and with the Ball brand pickling salt and fresh dill, it had a great flavor that would only develop with more time in the jars. My kids eat a lot of pickles, so this is one of the best ways to put my garden cucumbers to work the rest of the year. We can save a lot of money this way!

Celebrate Ball Can-It-Forward Day with this book!

Comments

  1. I like to preserve zucchini salsa, pizza sauce, green beans, tomatoes, pasta sauce, jams, etc. :-)

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  2. I have never but I would like to preserve tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, etc.

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  3. I'd like to can tomatoes and pickles!
    nikilsend(at)outlook(dot)com

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  4. I would like to can tomatoes!

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  5. Mostly I've done jams and jellies. My fave is actually a Ball recipe; cherry vanilla jam!

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  6. I have never preserved anything in cans. I have done some frozen preserving. I would like to can pickles and tomatoes to start...

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  7. My husband plants a big garden and I preserve it. I can enough spaghetti sauce, salsa, apple/grape/blackberry jelly or juice to last us all year.

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  8. I am pretty new to canning and preserving, so my favorite thing is one of the easiest - grape jelly. :-)

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  9. I have never canned before but, I am interested in learning. I like to garden and would love to preserve all our harvest. Pickles sound like a good start.

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  10. The only things I've helped to can before were tomatoes and jams. I'd love to branch out and do more though!

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  11. I mostly do jellies. We have tons of blueberries. I have had abysmal luck with pickles, but I'm definitely going to try this recipe.

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  12. I usually can applesauce and relish each year. Sometimes apple butter too.

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  13. I like to pickle okra, make freezer jam, and preserve roasted tomatoes.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  14. I have never canned anything, but my grandparents amd several aunts do a lot of canning. Winning this may be the motivation I need! 😂

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  15. I like to preserve berries.

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  16. Hi, Pickles, tomato sauce, applesauce and
    Salsa!
    Thanks, Cindi

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  17. Would love to make some different types and flavors of pickles.

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  18. I like to preserve peaches and jellies

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  19. We like to preserve pickles and green beans.
    heather hgtempaddy@hotmail.com

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  20. Ive never done it before.Id like to do peaches and make some yummy jam. Thank you for the chance :)

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  21. Ive never done it before.Id like to do peaches and make some yummy jam. Thank you for the chance :)

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  22. I would like to can tomatoes and green beans.

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  23. My two favorites are my grandmother's "Tomato Relish"--think chunky salsa--and sort of wild, fresh blackberries from my SIL's land.
    Mary Beth Elderton

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  24. Food preservation = food security in Alaska, a place where most stuff is barged up. One good earthquake that knocks out the docks in either Southern California and/or Seattle and we'll be in trouble.

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  25. I love to can tomatoes, pickles, jelly and beets.

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  26. I like to make jams, can tomatoes, beans and applesauce.

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  27. I like to can anything I am able to. I'm always excited about trying new canning recipes as well. 😊

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  28. I like to make jams and jellies a lot!Cheryl Abdelnour cjabdelnour@hotmail.com

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  29. I would like to can mushrooms, and pickled lemons
    Thank You for the chance

    Fiona N

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  30. I like to put up blackberry jelly.

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  31. I would like to preserve tomatoes.
    twinkle at optonline dot net

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  32. I'd love to preserve my garden tomatoes and make pickles.

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  33. I have preserved many items over the years. I think string beans would be my favorite food to preserve.

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  34. I love to preserve salsa, pickles and jellies.

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  35. I would like to make apple butter like my grandmother did.

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  36. i like to preserve mt garden goodies! we do beans, cucumbers made into pickles, sometimes i can apples too!

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  37. I have not actually preserved anything in the boil method. I do make freezer apple butter though! :-D

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  38. I'm looking forward to canning green beans this year!

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  39. I like to can green beans, tomatoes, carrots and beets

    tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

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  40. I like to preserve sweet relish.

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  41. I like preserving bread and butter pickles and strawberry jams.

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  42. Everyyear I make pickles, habanero pepper jam, crabapple jelly, and spaghetti sauce. I love pickling and preserving things out of our yard.

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  43. I really like making bread and butter pickles and dill pickles

    ellen beck on form

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  44. I just made pickled beets ...my favorite though is green beans.

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  45. I mostly can peaches, applesauce and salsa and make strawberry and blackberry jams.

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  46. I make a jam that is Blackberries (say 6 pints)/Lemon Juice & Zests/Turbinado Sugar/One entire Vanilla Bean Pod + Pectin; that is fantastic actually. I scrape out the vanilla seeds but also put the pods in with the fruit while I cook it (then fish them back out!). People freak over this.

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  47. I want to make watermelon rind pickles

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