Disclosure: I was provided a gift package from Ball for this post about Can it Forward Day!
Preserving food is something I really enjoy doing. Whether it is making jerky from deer and elk, dehydrating garden herbs, freezing jars of fruit for smoothies or canning vegetables from the farmers market.
However, I have come a long way. It was only a few years back, when I tested out canning for the first time. We had an abundance of fruits and vegetables in our garden, and canned just about everything we could! We canned peaches, pickles, strawberries, raspberries and tomatoes.
One thing I really enjoy canning is pickles! It is a yearly event I do with my BFF Raina. It is an all day event, stuffing the jars, heating them and allowing them to seal. It is not hard when you’ve got a system, and the dozens of jars are so worth it!
Canning Pickles
When canning pickles, it helps to have all the right tools and a trusted recipe. There is no recipe I trust more than the recipe right from the canning jar masters themselves – Hello, Ball®!
If you are new to preserving food, you must get the Ball Blue Book. It is the Bible of preserving food (canning, dehydrating and freezing). The latest guide is Ball’s 37th edition and is a no-fail recipe guide to persevering – with over 500 recipes!
Here is the brined dill pickle recipe from the official Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. It is a winning pickle recipe!
Brined Dill Pickles
Ingredients
- 10 pounds 4-to-6-inch cucumbers
- 1 1/2 cup Ball Salt for Pickling and Preserving
- 2 cups vinegar, 5% acidity
- 8 quarts cold water
- 3/4 cup Ball Mixed Pickling Spice, divided
- 2 to 3 bunches fresh or dried dill, divided
- 6 cloves garlic (optional)
Directions
PREP: Wash cucumbers under cold running water; drain. Remove 1/16 inch from blossom end of cucumbers. Plce hald the mixed pickling spice and one layer of dill in a pickling container. Add vinegar, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour brine over cucumbers. Place layer of dill and remaining mixed pickling spice over top. Add galirc, if desired. Weight cucumbers under brine; store container at 70° to 75°. Let cucumbers ferment until they have an even color throughout and are well flavored.
COOK: Remove pickles into a hot jar, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot brine over pickles, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
PROCESS: Lower the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process quart jars 15 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.
Ball Products
Everything you could ever need to begin preserving you can find from Ball. I love browsing the Fresh Preserving Store and checking out all the neat Ball products. This year, I’ve had my eye on the Ball® Frozen Herb Starters, Ball® “NEW” Dry Herb Jars and the Ball® Dissolvable labels!
They are always coming up with new products! Some of the latest in the collection:
- Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving: The new 37th edition of the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving is the most trusted resource in home canning for over 100 years and this new 2015 release is its largest update since the first edition in 1909. Expanding 56% from the previous edition, the 37th edition of the Ball Blue Book includes 75 new recipes, pictorial step by step guides for beginners and more! (Retail value: $11.95)
- Design Series Lids (red + purple): Great not only for home canning, the Ball® Brand Design Series Lids With Bands are also a great option for unique crafting creations, gifts and home décor with endless mixing and matching possibilities. (Retail value: $5.95)
- Case Heritage Collection Pint jars (Retail value: $12.99) and Case Heritage Collection Quart jars (Retail value: $14.99) These new limited edition Regular Mouth pint and Wide Mouth quart jars are a celebration of the 1915 heritage featuring a vintage-inspired purple color and embossed logos on front and back.
- Package of each new regular mouth Sip & Straw Lid (red, blue + purple): Fitting perfectly atop any Wide Mouth and Regular Mouth Ball® Jar, you can enjoy every drop of your favorite cold drinks, smoothies or summer tea with a splash of color. (Retail value: $4.99)
Can-It-Forward Day
Alright! Now for the fun!
Mark your calendars because on Saturday August 1st, Jarden Home Brands will host this year’s fifth annual Can-It-Forward Day! It is a fun and informative live online broadcast from 11AM – 4PM EST from the new state-of-the-art Jarden Home Brands headquarters in Fishers, Indiana.
This event celebrates the joys of fresh preserving, it encourages gardeners & food enthusiasts across the country to celebrate what “Made From Here” means to them by fresh preserving their favorite local ingredients in peak season. Look for some familiar bloggers who will be sharing recipes too!
Got a canning question? Get it answered from the real time integrated chat function!
Tune into the live webcast of canning demos from Ball brand home canning www.FreshPreserving.com
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