How To Water Bath Dill Pickles?
Canning dill pickles is straightforward. Yes, it is an easy task and can be done in no time. Anyone can water bath dill pickles at home. All you have to do is follow the step-wise technique and you will successfully water bath pickles.
Check out the following steps to water bath dill pickles at home:
- Prepare your favorite recipe of dill pickles at home and keep it aside to cool completely. Remember the recipe must cool down completely before you can it.
- Fill a water bath canner with enough water and bring it to a boil. Make sure the canner has enough water to completely submerge the cans while processing.
- In the meantime, fill the jars with dill pickles and seal all of them adequately. You can use canning bands to secure the sealing.
- Once the water comes to a boiling temperature, carefully place the sealed jars in the water, and make sure they are completely submerged in the water.
- Set the timer to about 10-15 minutes and let the canning jars process in the boiling water on a medium to low flame.
- Once it is done, use a jar lifter to remove each can from the water bath canner. Place the processed jars on a paper towel to soak all the extra moisture.
- Let the jars sit for at least 24 hours before you check the sealing. Once you are sure that the sealing is sufficient, you can store the canned dill pickles in your kitchen cabinet.
Tips To Preserve Dill Pickles!
Now that you know how to water bath dill pickles, here are a few tips to preserve them that will ensure the best results. You do not want your pickles to go bad, right? These tips will prove to be beneficial for you.
Check out the following tips for storing dill pickles at home:
- Use small quart or pint jars to store your dill pickles. This way you will not have a lot of pickles in one place, and it will be easier for you to use them. Storing in smaller quantities is always a good idea.
- Store the canned jars in a cool and dry place that is away from heat and light. This will protect the jars from spoiling. Extreme heat or temperatures will cause the food to spoil, therefore store it in a nice place.
- If you have opened a jar of dill pickles and are unsure if you could finish it before or if it might get spoiled, store the opened ones in the refrigerator. The refrigerator will be safe to preserve the opened jars of dill pickles for some time.
Do You Have To Water Bath Pickles?
Pickles are meant to be water bath canned to preserve them. You cannot process pickles in a pressure canner as it will not survive the constant high temperature of a pressure canner. Different food items need different canning processes, and thus pickles are best suited for the water bath canner.
So, yes you will always have to water bath pickles if you want a prolonged shelf life of more than 18 months. Canning is always a good idea to preserve the pickles for a long time, while that might not be the case if you just simply store pickles.
Can You Water Bath Store-Bought Pickles?
Store-bought pickles do not necessarily need to be water-bathed. This is because they already come with an expiry date and people generally consume them within the expiry date. Additionally, they already have sealing and storage instructions, so canning them is useless.
The water bath is a process of food preservation for a long time. And the case with store-bought pickles is different. Because they are prepared differently, therefore they need to be stored differently. Hence, you cannot water bath commercially manufactured pickles.
