Home Canning Recipes (2024)

Community Corner

Dill pickles, dilled green beans and relish are featured.

Posted Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 7:41 pm CT|Updated Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 1:32 am CT

See related story: Preserving the Home Garden Harvest

Fresh Pack Dill Pickles

• 15 pounds small pickling cucumbers, about 4-5 inches long
• 2 1/4 cups canning salt
• 2 gallons cool water
• 6 cups white vinegar
• 9 cups water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
• 1/3 cup mustard seed
• 7 cloves garlic
• 21 heads of dill
• 1/2 cup dill seed
• 7 small hot finger peppers

Thoroughly wash cucumbers, discarding any which have soft spots or blemishes. In a large slow cooker make a brine by mixing together the 2 1/4 cups salt with the 2 gallons water. Add cucumbers, weight top down with a plate, and let stand overnight. Rinse and drain cucumbers. In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, 9 cups water and sugar. Tie mixed pickling spices into a piece of cheesecloth to make a bag, or place in a tea bag. Add to vinegar solution. Bring pickling solution to a boil. Keep hot.

Remove pickles from brine, pack in quart jars, adding 2 teaspoons mustard seed, a clove of garlic, 3 heads dill, a heaping tablespoon dill seed and a hot pepper to each jar. Cover with hot vinegar solution, leaving a 1/4 inch head space at top of each jar. Loosely fit with lids and place filled jars in a kettle and cover with boiling water. Make sure jars are covered by at least 2 inches of water. Bring water back to a full boil, and process (boil) for 20 minutes. Remove jars, adjust lids and cool. Store in a dark place and allow pickles to age in jars for 3 months. Makes 7 quarts.

Sweet Pepper Relish

• 12 red peppers
• 12 green peppers
• 12 medium onions
• 2 cups vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons canning salt

Chop peppers and onions. Cover with boiling water and let stand 5 minutes. Drain, place in a large stockpot or kettle. Add vinegar, sugar and salt. Boil for 5 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jar, seal and process in hot water bath for 8 minutes.Makes 6-7 pints.

Dilled Green Beans

• 2 1/2 pounds fresh whole green beans
• 2 1/2 cups white vinegar (5 percent acidity)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 packet (1.66 ounces) Mrs. Wages Dilled Green Beans Mix

Prepare and process home canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions for sterilized jars. Wash beans and trim tips. Drain.

Place green beans in a large nonreactive pot. Do not use aluminum. Cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes; drain. Combine mix, vinegar, water, sugar (adjust for sweetness) and green beans into pot. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes.

Pack green beans into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Evenly divide hot pickling liquid among packed jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles and cap each jar as it is filled. If more liquid is needed for proper headspace, add a mix of one part vinegar and one part water. If shelf-stable dilled green beans are preferred, use the hot water bath method, processing pints 20 minutes and quarts 30 minutes.

Cool to room temperature, label and store in refrigerator. Product is ready to eat after 24 hours. When properly processed and sealed, unopened refrigerator product can be stored up to 6 months, and shelf-stable product up to 18 months. Makes 5 pints.