Every summer I like to make a big batch of pickles. Making pickles is easy, fun, and delicious; not to mention that you can make extra to gift to family and friends. Near my home there is a market known as Chesapeake’s Bounty. The wonderful team over at Chesapeake’s Bounty works hard to bring fresh and local goods to our community. Everything sold at Chesapeake’s Bounty is sourced from a sustainable network of food growers and producers who live and work here in Southern Maryland. You can get fresh seafood sourced from right here in the Chesapeake Bay, the freshest local produce you can find, and plants so you can cultivate your own garden!

Today, with the help of my awesome friend Hannah, we decided to make fresh pickles. Ten jars of pickles to be exact! We collected a bunch of brand new Ball mason jars from Walmart, and then we headed down to Chesapeake’s Bounty for tons of Cucumbers!

 

Making Pickles is a lot easier than one might expect. With the simple recipe below you’ll be able to master making your own batch of pickles and maybe even venturing off into making other pickled and preserved items.

This particular recipe is known as the “bread and butter” pickle recipe. Usually this recipe calls for fresh dill, but I decided to use 1 drop of dill essential oil instead!

 

Ingredients

10 of the Pint sized mason jars

10 Cucumbers

6 cups of distilled white vinegar

3 cups of sugar

2 teaspoons of coarse salt

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon celery seed

Hot chili flakes (optional)

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Fresh dill or dill essential oil from Doterra.

Method

Be sure to wash and boil your mason jars and lids before use. This sanitizes them and helps prevent the introduction of unwanted bacteria.

1. Slice your cucumbers into rounds, discarding of the “butt” ends of each cucumber. Put all slices into a colander and toss with salt, let sit in the sink for at least 30 minutes to help draw out some moisture.
2. In a large pot, mix together the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. If you are choosing to use one drop of Dill essential oil, now is the time to add the one drop as well as the hot chili flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. While you are waiting for the brine to come to a boil, pack your mason jars with the cucumber slices, if you are choosing to use fresh dill, now is the time to pack a sprig of Dill in-between each layer of cucumber. You really want to jam as many cucumbers in as you possibly can. Be sure to alternate directions in which the cucumbers lay so that the brine will reach all parts.
4. Once your brine has boiled for at least two minutes, you may now add it to your mason jars. You may choose to use a measuring cup or a funnel to do this part. Be sure to completely cover all of the cucumber slices with brine. If some are floating, use a clean spoon to push them down and help them stay submerged. Be sure to leave at least a half an inch of headroom when you fill the jars.
5. Allow the newly filled mason jars with your pickles to cool to room temperature before sealing them with the lids. Store them in your refrigerator.

 

 

These pickles must be stored in the refrigerator, feel free to share them with family and friends. Give them away as gifts!

 

Enjoy!