Anyone here make their own pickles?

I do not care for raw cucumbers, but my wife likes them. I took a few slices and added them to a jar of pickled okra. After about 3 weeks they were surprisingly good.

Where is this smoking meat forum

I've also read that the flowering end contains an enzyme that can make them mushy. No idea if that's true but I usually cut that little bit off.

I make my own dill pickle spears and the sliced Bread & Butter type. I also pickle okra, green beans, beets, onions, peppers, eggs, sausage, Brussel sprouts and kohlrabi.

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If you like bread and butter pickles.

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I was hoping you would respond. Do you mind sharing your recipe for the spears?

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I use my pickling cucumber for this as they are a smaller variety. I wash them, then quarter then lengthwise and put them in a stainless steel bowl along with some thin onion slices and sliced up garlic.

To that I add about 1/8 cup Kosher salt and mix it all together and let that sit for about 2 hours. During that time, a lot of liquid will be released from the cucumbers and they will soften a bit. When the time is up, I drain the cucumbers/onion/garlic and reserve the juice.

I place the spears, onions and garlic in Mason jars and pack them as tightly as I can. Then I fill the jar 1/2 way with vinegar and top it off with the saved liquid from soaking the cukes, onions and garlic.

When all the jars are full of the brine, pour it off into a stainless steel pot and bring it to a boil. Now, add a bit of Mustard Seed to the jars. I also like to add some hot pepper flakes, but that isn't necessary if you don't like it.

Once the brine boils, return it to the Mason jars stopping 1/4 in. from the top. Wipe off any liquid on the top edge of the jar, put on the seal and screw down the ring.

While all that is going on, I will have a pot of water on the stove with enough water to cover the jars by 1 in. and the water in that pot heated to 185 degrees and be sure to add a couple ounces of vinegar to the canning water. If putting up quarts, let them stay in the 185 degree water for 20 minutes, if pints, just 15 minutes.

Remove and let cool and a vacuum should set the jars for pantry storage. Once open, then put in the fridge.


The reason for the vinegar in the water bath is because N.O. has high mineral content in the water and the vinegar prevents a haze from forming on the outside of the jars as they dry after being in the hot liquid.

I made a batch but they were pretty mushy.

Afterwards, I learned to cut off the flowering end and use pickle crisp, (as mentioned above) and it really helped.

For mine, I used pickling cukes, garlic, fresh dill, mustard seeds, and peppercorns.

We make them. Start with a recipe from the Internets and add whatever you want. We do dill, garlic, and onion. Sometimes jalapeño.

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pickling cucumber

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Smaller, less seedy variety that are usually picked before they hit 4 inches long.

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This part was confusing me for a bit but I think I understand it now...so you're using the jar (that is filled with cucumber, onion and garlic) as a mixing vessel. Once you have your vinegar-cucumber juice ratio right, it needs to be boiled. So you pour the liquid contents of all the jars into a pot and boil it.

Do I have that right?

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Yes, that is correct.

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Once the brine boils, return it to the Mason jars stopping 1/4 in. from the top.


It doesn't need to be cooled before pouring it back into the jars?

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No, the brine can be poured boiling hot into the Mason jars. Then put on the seal, screw on the band and put the jars in the hot water bath for the amount of time I mentioned according to the size of the jars used.

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You welcome.