This is a complete guide for canning pickles for beginners and newbies! Learn all you need to know about preserving pickles. Hang around for a free pickle recipe at the end of this post!
Pickles: A Great Place to Start
If you are new to canning and are looking for an easy, great place to start pickles are a great option! They require very little planning and pressure canning is not necessary (keep reading) making it the perfect option for beginners. You can even get a pre-made seasoning packet that will set you up for pickling success!
You do not need to be an expert. No experience is required to start learning the art of canning and preservation! If you want my complete guide to canning and preserving for beginners go check out this post here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to our email list so you don’t miss my canning mini e-book for beginners coming later this month!
Growing Your Own Pickles
The only thing better than canning your own pickles is canning your own pickles that you grew from your own garden.
I will not spend a lot of time on this subject but grown cucumbers for picking is so easy! You do not need much space and they can be grown in just about every climate in the U.S.
If you are looking for an easy place to start your own from scratch, homegrown journey try growing your own cucumbers! If you are in the southern part of the U.S. there’s still time to grow a batch this summer/fall season.
Perhaps you cannot grow your own. I highly recommend sourcing cucumbers from your local farmers market. Produce grown locally is much healthier and is a great way to connect with your community!
The Best Pickles for Canning
Whether you grow your own or purchase them locally you will want to know the best varieties for what you are canning. Here is a brief overview of the best pickles for what you might be canning…
- Large, smooth varieties are best for pickle chips. Smooth (not bumpy or seedy) varieties will not be as naturally crunchy. Best for hamburger chips, or sweet/bread and butter chips.
- Medium/large bumpy varieties are best for spears. Bumpy varieties are best for a crunchy spear pickle. Large/medium varieties are great for spears.
- Small/medium bumpy varieties are best for dill chips and relish. They give a great crunch and perfect size for a dill chip. They make the best relish because they are not quite as seedy and have the best texture.
- Small varieties are perfect for canning whole dill or sweet pickles.
Try growing a mixture of sizes and varieties to try canning pickles and relish of all kinds!
Water Bath Canning Vs. Pressure Canning
One of the main reasons pickles are a great place to start is that you do not need to pressure Can pickles. They actually taste much better using the water bath method. This is the method that uses heat to preserve food instead of pressure. It is much safer and simpler than pressure canning- making it the perfect place to start your journey!
Have you heard about Earthley Wellness? As a mom of two under two I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for over two years. This means very limited options for cold/flu, cough, headache medications that are safe for my baby and do not effect my milk supply. Earthley’s Feel Better Fast offers relief from these symptoms that WORK! Feel Better Fast is completely safe for use during pregnancy/breastfeeding, is 100% toxin free, and is made completely from herbs/only natural ingredients. Use my link below and the code CHOOSENATURAL to get 10% off your first order!
Click Here to Shop!
Canning Safer and Simply
Let’s be clear- pressure canning is not unsafe! Many people have an unnecessary fear of canning explosions and mishaps that are 99.9% avoidable when following safe calling practices. However, of the two methods, water bath and pressure canning, water bath canning is safest.
Water bath canning is also the simplest canning method. It literally involves boiling water, placing your jars in, and putting the lid on. There are way less parts and pieces to deal with and a few less steps.
The taste of your pickles is also much better using the water bath method. Pressure canning produces a much mushier, less crunchy pickle.
Refrigerator Pickles
Maybe you are reading this and it sounds a bit overwhelming (not my goal at all!). First of all, it’s so simple and the best place to start is to just start!! However, if you want to start even simpler try refrigerator pickles first. This will familiarize yourself with most of the pickle making steps just without actually having to can the pickles.
This is also perfect if you do not want to fully invest in a canner quite yet! (Although I highly recommend investing in the purchase of a water bath canner/stockpot.)
Click here to get my favorite water bath canner!
How to Make Refrigerator Pickles
- Make your brine. Make the from scratch brine recipe below or a packet mix (Mrs. Wages makes the best in my opinion!).
- Clean your jars.
- Cut pickles in slices or spears.
- Pack the jars.
- Pour brine over pickles leaving about one inch at the top. Pickles should be completely covered.
- Place lids on jars and store in the refrigerator.
- Eat after 24 hours and store unopened for up to two months.
*Refrigerator picked are also great to make if you have a small batch of cucumbers that you need to use up.
Steps for Canning Pickles
Canning pickles is so simple! Here’s a step by step guide for canning them start to finish…
- Fill up your canner 3/4 of the way full and begin boiling water. This can take a bit of time.
- Wash your cucumbers and sterilize jars/lids/rings.
- Cut cucumbers in desired size. (I like to chop them for relish in the food processor.)
- Make brine.
- Pack jars with cucumbers.
- Pour brine over cucumbers leaving 1/2 inch headspace- the space between the liquid and the lid. Make sure cucumbers are fully covered.
- Place in canner (follow canning instructions on the recipe card below!)
- Adjust water level. You want jars fully covered about an inch above the lids. You may need to add/subtract water.
- Canning time begins when the water begins to boil after placing the jars in the canner.
- After canning allow jars to cool inside the canner or pull them out to cool and dry on a dish towel.
- Wait 24 hours then check all the seals. Store sealed jars in pantry for up to year after canning for best flavor.
Canning Safety Tips
Despite popular belief, canning is completely safe when following proper procedures and safety tips. You have absolutely no reason to fear explosions, botulism, or other incidents that have made us scared to preserve our own food at home.
You can read more about this here in another post about canning and preserving but here are a few main safety tips to practice when canning pickles…
Wash cucumbers well and remove rotten spots. Botulism is avoided when food is properly cleaned.
Clean and sanitize jars and lids/rings. Sterilize jars and parts by boiling them in water for a few minutes. At very least, wash them well with warm water.
Place jars in gently. Your water bath canner has already been on high heat by the time you add the jars of pickles. Be mindful of this and place jars in carefully by hand or use a jar lifter to lower them in.
As mentioned before, water bath canning is much safer. You do not need to fear explosions and jars rarely brake because you are not using pressure, just heat and water. Your biggest concern should be burns and practicing safety when dealing with the hot water and hot jars.
Tips for Canning Pickles
Canning pickles is very simple and can be done pretty quickly. Here are just a few tips to note….
What if a jar breaks in the canner?
It is rare that jars break inside a water bath canner but should it happen there is no cause for concern. You can finish canning the rest of your jars before dealing with the broken one. After the rest have finished processing time simply strain out the broken pieces of glass and cucumber. Discard and carefully clean out your canner.
Jars that do not seal.
Test the seal by pressing the middle of the lid after 24 hours. If there is no give and no popping noise your jars have successfully sealed. If there is give and it makes a popping noise your jar did not fully seal.
There is no need to toss them! Simple place them in the refrigerator and use within two months.
How to Can Pickles and My Favorite Basic Dill Pickle Recipe
Equipment
- Water Bath Canner
- Jar lifter optional
- Quart or Pint Mason Jars with lids and rings
Materials
Pickle Brine Ingredients
- 6 cups vinegar
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
Pickle Seasonings
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp dried or fresh garlic
- 1/2-1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2-1 tbsp fresh or dried dill or several sprigs
Instructions
- Begin by filling your water bath canner ¾ of the way full and placing on high heat. Your goal is to bring the water to a soft, rolling boil.
- While water is coming to a boil, begin sterilizing your jars in boiling water or wash them thoroughly in hot water.
- Wash cucumbers well. Cut them to the desired shape (spears or chips) or chop them in the processor (for dill relish).
- Pack cucumbers into jars tightly.
Prepare Brine
- Prepare the brine by bringing vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil.
- Mix the seasonings together then add to hot brine or add right into jars. (I prefer to add herbs/seasonings directly into jars rather than into the brine to equally distribute them versus them settling at the bottom of the brine. It is a bit more work but yields better outcome.)
- Pour brine into jars packed with cucumbers. Be sure to cover the cucumbers completely but leave about ½ inch headspace between the liquid and the top of the jar.
- Place lids on the jars and screw the rings on tightly.
- By now your canner water should be at a nice rolling boil. Add jars in one at a time, be careful not to splash yourself with the hot water. Jars should be placed in a circular pattern around the canner with one or two jars in the center of the circle.
- Adjust water level to cover the jars completely by at least one inch. This means you may need to add or eliminate some of the water in your canner. If you need to subtract water the best way is to remove it with a cup or container instead of lifting the heavy canner or having to remove jars you have already placed.
- Place the lid on and allow water to come back to a steady, rolling boil.
- As soon as boiling has begun processing time starts. Pint jars are processed for 10 minutes in the canner. Quart jars are processed for 15 minutes. If you have a mixed batch, quarts and pints, processing everything for 15 minutes is best.
- After processing time has ended allow cans to cool in the canner or lift them out using tongs or a jar lifter. Allow to cool and seal for 24 hours then check seals by tapping the center of the jar lid. If the lid pops back up after pressing the lid did not seal and jars should be placed in the refrigerator to be used within 2 months.
- If the lids have sealed they can be stored and used as needed. Use within one year for best freshness.
Notes
I hope you enjoy learning how to can these pickles! If you have any questions please leave a comment. And if you are looking for more content like this be sure to subscribe! I’m here every week with more real food from scratch, homemaking, and natural mom life.
