Crispy dill pickles

I would like to can crispy dill pickles this year but all the recipes I see have you process them in a water bath. Won't this make them mushy instead of crispy and what would happen if I just skipped that step?

Hi, and welcome to the board!

My wife and I are also looking for a cold process to keep the pickles crispy. The water process, like the heat, is used to assure nothing unwanted grows in the jar during storage. However with all the salt and vinegar used I have trouble accepting that.

Hopefully someone will be along shortly to help us both out.

I make sweet pickles and none of the recipes require using a water bath process. I wondered if it was something in the fresh dill that would require "killing off" and if so would it be better to use dill seed or whatever.

I'm not sure, the recipies I am finding are using different ingredients, but all that seal the jars use the water bath. Refrigerator and freezer, or icicle pickles are the only ones I can find.


Anyone else care to chime in here?

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dill-pickles/

I found this doing a search for kosher pickles. Since the koshers tend to be crispier I figured I would go that route. Hope it helps.

http://www.pickyourown.org/makingcrisppickles.htm

Hope this link will help you some.

Thanks to you both, I am ill equipped to field these questions.

*points to self* Yeah, me too! I have never canned anything. I just did an internet search. All the different recipes I read, the link I posted sounded the best.

Clausen Kosher Dill Pickles
2 dill flowers
2 garlic cloves, peeled & halved
1 1/4 lbs. (8−10) pickling cucumbers
6 long sprigs fresh dill
1 tbsp coarse kosher salt
Put dill flower and garlic in bottom of mason jar;
add the cukes, put sprigs of dill in center of
cukes, add salt, fill jar with half boiled water
that is now cool, and half vinegar to within 1/8th of top.
Put on seal and ring, shake to dissolve salt,
set upside down on counter away from sunlight
and heat. Let sit 4−5 days flipping the jar
either upright or upside down each day.
Let sit upright 2 more days then refrigerate.
Lasts about 6 months.

Thanks Amy. I may have to give that one a try this year.