Ask a Prepper
  • DIY |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Contact
ask a prepper survival every day
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Survival Knowledge
  • How To’s
  • Store
  • About Claude Davis
  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Survival Knowledge
  • How To’s
  • Store
  • About Claude Davis
No Result
View All Result
Menu
Ask a Prepper
Search
No Result
View All Result
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Home All Articles
Grandma's Homemade Pickles

How To Pickle Cucumbers

Anne by Anne
September 8, 2016
23

By Anne

Pickle season is here, and my favorite thing to pickle is cucumbers. This recipe is simple, it’s done in no time, and it’s very tasty. I don’t use any preservatives, and the pickles will last a couple of years. You can use the same recipe for pickling peppers.

This is how my grandma used to pickle cucumbers, so I can’t provide the exact quantities, plus everybody can adjust the sugar, salt, or vinegar anyway they like it.

 Ingredients:

  • Cucumbers
  • Vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Water

Optional:

  • Hot Peppers
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Tarragon
  • Savory
  • Dill
  • Mustard seeds
  1. Wash the cucumbers.3
  2. Cut the ends.
  3. If the cucumbers are small, I put them in whole. Otherwise, I cut them into fourths.
  4. I place them in the jar, trying to fit as many as possible.4
  5. Sometimes I add onions and carrots too.
  6. For flavor, sometimes I add tarragon, savory, or dill.
  7. Afterwards, I add vinegar, about 0.8 inches a jar, but I actually put about one finger(width).6
  8. Add a teaspoon spoon of salt.7
  9. Add two teaspoons of sugar.8
  10. Add mustard seeds; this helps preserve the pickles better. I also like their taste.
  11. My personal touch is a little bit of hot pepper. This will give the pickles a unique sweet and sour taste and a little bit of a spicy flavor.11
  12. After mixing these ingredients, fill the jar with cold water. It’s important for the water to be cold; otherwise, the jars will break.12
  13. After screwing the caps on the jars, turn them upside down to check if they leak.
  14. Put them in a pot, and add water until it covers them.15
  15. After the water starts boiling, keep them boiling for another 20 minutes more.14
  16. Take them out of the pot and put a towel on them. Itis better for them to cool as slowly as possible.patura needita
  17. The pickles can be eaten the next day.stockpile

We recently opened one jar from three years ago, and they are still delicious.

You may also like:

fema spotDIY Chicken Tunnel (Step-by-Step Guide)

This Device Turns Air Into Water (Video)

How to Grow Fruit All Year Round

How to Use Acorns as Survival Food

You Pass by This Plant Everyday Without Knowing How to Use It When SHTF

Tags: DIYHow toreserve food
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
ShareTweetPin6

Comments 23

  1. cherokeeleprechaun says:
    7 years ago

    Are your pickles crisp like when you use alum or soft?

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you for asking.

      The pickles are crispy. If you use good quality ingredients and follow this method firming agents like alum are not needed.

      Did you like this comment? 1
      Reply
  2. Seadream2000 says:
    7 years ago

    What type of vinegar do you use?

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      I use either apple vinegar or white vinegar.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  3. bette says:
    7 years ago

    If you put the sugar in these, does it make them like bread, & butter pickles?

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      No. They have a different taste.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  4. left coast chuck says:
    7 years ago

    I’m no canning expert, so forgive my ignorance, but if you boil the jars for twenty minutes with the lids screwed on tight, isn’t there a danger that the jars will break? It has been at least half a century since I watched my mother preserve food in jars and my recollection is hazy, but I seem to remember that the lids went on after boiling but before cooling as the cooling then drew the lids down tight onto the jars.

    I notice in the pictures that the author seems to be using ordinary jars and not special canning jars and lids. Is that the difference?

    For me, this is an important point because it would allow preserving cucumbers without a pressure cooker, so an informed response would really be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      Fill the jars with cold water. Is very important for the jars to be cold otherwise they will break. Screw on the lids, turn the jars upside down so they won’t leak. The water in the pot has to be cold. When you see the water boiling leave them for 20 minutes more and afterwards cover them and wait for them to cool down as slowly as possible.

      This is a tested method. This recipe is in my family for over 40 years. My grandmother used to make them when I was a kid. I don’t think she ever bought a new jar. We never used special jars. We use jars three of four times until the lid doesn’t screw properly.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  5. Robby says:
    7 years ago

    I was wondering about the jars and lids also. They appear to be used. Will used lids seal properly? All of my jar lids have dents in them from where I hit them on the counter edge to help open them the first time.

    Did you like this comment? 1
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      They are all used jars. I check the lids, they have to seal hermetically otherwise they won’t be any good.

      I use a spoon to open the lids so I don’t mess them up.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  6. MGM54 says:
    7 years ago

    Anne,

    Will those jars reseal using those lids? Would it not be safer to use regular canning jars & lids?

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      Usually they do reseal, I use them about 3 or 4 times before throwing them away.

      I don’t buy new jars, not empty ones at least :).

      But if you feel more comfortable use new ones. The pickles would be just as good :).

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  7. left coast chuck says:
    7 years ago

    Thanks for your answers, Anne.

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you for all the insight you bring to this website. Your comments are very much appreciated.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  8. Jules says:
    7 years ago

    I followed your instructions to a “T”, however, the next day when I opened the jar to try them, they are not crispy…actually kinda mushy?? What do you think that I did wrong? Did I not cook them enough or too long? What, if anything, can I do to correct this? Please advise. Thanks.

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      Hi Jules,

      Thank you for trying my recipe. The cucumbers get mushy when you over cooked them. Maybe you left them too much to boil. Were the cucumbers fresh? Sometimes this happens if the cucumbers have been harvested for a long time.

      Unfortunately you cannot make them crunchy again but you could use them in salad. If you have some leftover chicken add some boiled vegetables and mayonnaise. Or just a simple potato salad. The pickles give it a fresh taste.

      Please don’t let this stop you from trying this recipe again.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  9. Justbnice says:
    7 years ago

    How much mustard seed?

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
    • Anne says:
      7 years ago

      Half a teaspoon.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  10. Tom says:
    7 years ago

    Anne, I have much respect for your many years of experience, but there is a reason that most canners leave the lids loose until the contents of the jars have been boiling for a few minutes. If you seal them tight when cold there will still be some air in the jars. The air remaining in the jars will be sterilized with the food, but it still contains some oxygen which can cause food inside to become discolored over time if any part is not fully submerged. This can cause people to discard the canned food thinking it is unsafe. If you simmer the food inside the jars for a few minutes with the lids loose, the steam from inside the jar drives out any remaining air. Then when you tighten the lids fully, no air can get back in. Some foods can soak up more water over time, leaving the the top exposed if the level of liquid was low. If you ever saw the tips of exposed food turn dark inside a jar, it’s not usually because the seal failed, it’s just trapped air.

    Did you like this comment? 1
    Reply
  11. Sister Suzie says:
    6 years ago

    One of my questions are: do you kosher salt (my Aunt told be to buy premix, when I failed 40 yrs ago) still turned out mushy and no flavor, quit trying. I think she pressure cook them, but a hot bath will work just as good as I read your post. I want to learn how to teach my children and grand children so the store isn’t their first choice

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
  12. Billy says:
    6 years ago

    Thank you very much for your recipe Anne! I hope you continue to inspire people to follow the recipes that have been in your family for years. I appreciate your ability to respond to all the comments too! This recipe seems extremely simple and easy to follow. I’ll have to come back and share my end product once I’ve done it myself! Thank you again!

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
  13. Miam says:
    6 years ago

    Hey.. H r u?
    I love ur recipe
    Can i ask somthing??
    If i dnt have jar which are shown in picture. Can i use jam bottle ??

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions Terms & Conditions.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

FOLLOW US ON:

PREPPER RECOMMENDS

YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE AN EMP STRIKE WITHOUT THIS

IF YOU SEE THIS PLANT IN YOUR BACKYARD BURN IT IMMEDIATELY

HOW TO GET 295 POUNDS OF EXTRA FOOD FOR JUST $5 A WEEK

THE AWESOME DIY DEVICE THAT TURNS AIR INTO FRESH WATER

5 INGENIOUS WAYS TO REFRIGERATE YOUR FOOD WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE INVISIBLE TO LOOTERS

Banner Generator

LATEST ARTICLES

6 Dangerous Mistakes From “Doomsday Preppers”

Knock Knock! It’s FEMA, We Need Your Stockpile

If You Have Been Storing Meat This Way, Stop Doing It Immediately

America vs Americans

Deinfluencing You: 14 Items You Should Stop Stockpiling Right Now

7 Things That You Should Never Do After An EMP

Don’t Do This

15 Survival Foods That Are Better At Amish Stores

Preppers’ Promised Land (Just Found)

Looter Deterrents You Never Thought Of

This Will Cause The Next American Blackout

10 Myths About Storing Food In 5-Gallon Buckets

How To Start A Prepper Group In Your Community

4 Prepper Mistakes That You Should Actually Make

What Freedoms The Government Is Plotting To Take Away From You By The End Of 2023

25 Survival Items To Hunt For At Flea Markets

How The Native Americans Used To Hide In Plain Sight

15+ Wild Edibles You Should Can This Spring

Combat Boots 101

How Long Can You Store Water Before It Becomes Unsafe To Drink?

Throw It Out!

The First Thing You Need To Do During Civil War

I Visited An Amish Farm And This Happened

Banner Bor

Banner TLW2

Banner NGP

The Lost Ways Claude Davis

HOW TO

How To Start A Prepper Group In Your Community

How To Store Water In Your Car For An Emergency

How To Looter-Proof Your Home

How To Recondition Old Gasoline

How To Remove Radioactive Particles From Water In Case Of A Nuclear Fallout

How To Make Bread Last For Up To 5 Years

How To Prepare Your Car For SHTF

How To Cook Steak On A Stone In The Wilderness

How To Craft A Deadly Slingshot

How To Make Your Chickens Lay More Eggs

Vote for ask a Prepper

YOU CAN ALSO FIND US ON:

Survial Websites Prepper

Banner H20

Banner LSF Hamburger

Copyright © 2014-2023 Ask a Prepper

  • Home
  • All Articles
  • Ask a Prepper
  • About Claude Davis
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2014-2023 Ask a Prepper

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.