Dill pickles are a classic which I typically do every year, but I love pickling other vegetables too like carrots, beets, kohlrabi, and even cauliflower. I enjoy experimenting with different flavors such as Curried Pickled Cauliflower or Clove Pickled Beets. However, I always go back to this classic recipe that keeps things simple and easy.
I wanted to share with you, my staple pickling recipe so you can preserve the beautiful produce from your garden year-round. Giving canning away at Christmas is something that is special to me. There is something about growing food from seed, loving it, caring for it and then turning it into canned goods to give to those I love that is a way that you can truly give a gift from the heart.
If you are new to canning that is ok! This is an easy to follow the method below where I give you step-by-step instructions to follow. A basic canning kit is inexpensive but I do recommend you buy one. You want a cradle that will hold your mason jars in your pot, this helps you to lower and remove the cans safely without burning yourself. I also bought a little canning toolkit (about $10.00 from Canadian tire or Walmart). This kit includes a spout that you place onto the jar to easily pour the brine into the jar without spilling, a little tool to push the contents down into the jar to pack it into removing any air bubbles, and finally, a set of tongs that help you remove the jars from the hot water. I would love to hear how your canning adventures go, leave me a comment below!
Simple Pickled Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots, beets, or cucumbers
- 3 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
- 1 large bunch of dill or 2 tbsp dill seed
- 1 tbsp celery salt
- 1/4 cup raw cane sugar
- 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp celtic or himalayan sea salt
Instructions
- Prep the veggies. For cucumbers remove the ends and cut lengthwise into the jars. For carrots & beets, peel them and then cut into 1/4" rounds. Evenly divide the veggies, garlic, onion, peppercorns, and dill into the jars.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil
- Pour the hot brine over the veggies until they are covered. Leave about 1/2" space from the top of the liquid to the top of the jar. This is known as "headspace". Whip the opening mouth of the jar with a clean cloth to secure a seal and tighly screw on the lid.
- Meanwhile, you should have your large canning pot full of water and brought to a boil. Add the mason jars into the canning basket and slowly lower the basket and jars into the pot. The top of the jars should be covered by about 1-2" of boiling water. Process the beets for 30 minutes, process carrot sticks for 15, and process cucumbers for 10 minutes. These are the correct cooking times for each to tenderize the veggies so process them according to those exact times (or you can have too hard or too soft pickles). Turn the heat off, remove the pot lid and let the jars rest in the pot for 5 minutes.
- Remove jars with tongs and let sit on the counter and sit for 12 hours to cool.