Homemade Sun Pickles
6 1/2 cups water
3 1/4 cups white vinegar
2/3 cup canning salt
4-6 cloves of garlic (you can add more if you really like garlic)
1/8 tsp. alum
about 10 medium pickling cucumbers
fresh dill, about 8-10 heads
Method of Preparation
1. Either slice or spear each cucumber.
2. Chop garlic into somewhat smallish pieces.
3. Pour water, vinegar, salt, and alum into a large mixing bowl or one gallon jar. Stir to dissolve salt.
4. Place a head of dill into a one quart jar along with half a chopped garlic clove. Add pickles until half full.
5. Repeat layering and pour water mixture over cucumbers and place lid on jar.
6. Set out in the sun for 2-3 days, chill and enjoy!
Now for some major tips to make these pickles last for about 6 months.
- If your cucumbers were picked the day you make them, just wash and slice. If you don’t know when they were picked or were picked previously, soak for about an hour in ice water to re-crisp them. Otherwise they may go soggy to soon.
- Use a double lid with ring and rubber seal. (canning lids) This helps with the fermentation by letting air out but not in.
- Do not open the lid to taste test during the 2-3 days period. Only open and enjoy when you’ll be eating the entire jar within a couple weeks.
- The sun part is most likely not necessary, since I have seen other recipes that are extremely similar and they just keep them inside. Although I do love the faded effect these pickles get from the sun, so mine always sit outside!
Hope you try them out, you won’t be disappointed! And granted, this isn’t a fully natural/fermented food, but it’s a lot better than what’s in the stores!
*Nourishing Notes
- use organic vinegar as non-organic may be from GMO corn
- use celtic sea salt as a healthier option to refined white salt
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These sound great! Homemade pickles are SO much better than storebought! I'm saving this one to try
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I think the "faded" look may come from the vinegar destroying the clorophyll. My indoor pickles also lose their bright green color and have a more olive green appearance. Perhaps sun pickles look even more different than that, but there's my two cents. I do heartily agree that homemade pickles are the best!
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I’m trying to research pickling for next season and came across your recipe. It looks good but aren’t you concerned about the use of alum? While this food additive is approved by the FDA it has been shown to be toxic in doses as small as an ounce.
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donielle Reply:
January 4th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
@Lauren, Lauren, I have yet to try this recipe w/o alum, but this is one of my ‘better than store bought’ recipes. It hasn’t been heated and doesn’t contain dyes. And an ounce of alum is a lot!! I have a small 1.9 ounce jar of it and I’ve used it through 4 pickling seasons, making about 2 dozen quarts per year and have yet to even make a dent in the jar. I just looked and it seems I haven’t even used an 1/8 of the jar yet. And yes, I am always concerned about the use of ‘preservative’ type ingredients in any of my food! Sometimes though it’s all about progress, not perfection. And while one day I may get to food ‘perfection’, right now I’m still in progress mode!
Personally though, next summer I would like to try naturally fermenting my pickles!
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I just tried this recipe and wanted to let you know it works GREAT withOUT the alum. I just left it out because I didn’t have it and didn’t feel like a trip to the store. They’ve plenty crunchy. Excellent recipe!
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Just to double check – Are these refrigerator pickles that you are not actually “canning” or “sealing” these jars and it is safe to leave them out in the sun for a few days. I am looking for recipes that I don’t have to seal. Thank you – the recipe looks great.
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donielle Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 1:23 pm
@MomOfFour, No – these are not sealed or ‘canned’. Leaving them out for 3 days allows the pickles to ferment and as long as you don’t open the jar, they will stay fresh in the fridge for months. As soon as they are opened, they last a week or two.
also- you don’t really have to put them in the sun, leaving them on the counter works just as good. I like them sun bleached though and it seems to make the skins softer!
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I made these pickles last year.(without alum) I stored them in my basement on shelves and we just finished the last jar last week, Not only did they last an entire year, some jars were in my fridge for over a month (after they were opened) before the were all eaten, They lasted, no spoilage, no food poisingin. My great grandma said this is how they were done and kept for centuries before modern conveniences. She was right.
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These were way to salty but smelled good. Can I reduce the salt?
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donielle Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
@Net, You can try – but they may not preserve as long since the salt aids in keeping them longer. If you’re going to consume them within a few weeks, it shouldn’t be a problem though as long as you keep them cold after the first few days.
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How many jars does this make?
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donielle Reply:
July 31st, 2011 at 8:27 pm
@Sarah, 3-5 quarts I think, but it all depends on how you cut the cucumbers. Sliced, you’ll fill the jar a bit more and use less of the liquid. Spears seem to need more liquid per jar.
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After years of my 2 younger brothers making crock dill pickles, this believe it or not is my FIRST attempt at making pickles! I loved making them and can’t wait to make more! I am going to add though a jalapeno pepper to this next batch and see how they come out. Anybody ever do this? Somebody else said chiles too. Did any body elses garlic turn blue though? I freaked out and about cried when I saw that! Went right to Web and looked it up and found out it’s not harmful. Whew, I was so happy to read this. So today after making them about 330pm Sunday I brought them in the house Tuesday night, feared about storms coming thru OH damaging my hard work! This morning I ate one, I opened the sliced jar and ate one and it was fantastic!! They came out really great! So glad I went and did this. Easy peasy!
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Just wondering. does the dill have to be fresh or can I use dried? Dont want to go to the store. lol! And can use reg salt or does it have to be canning salt? Thanks! Dying to trythis since I just got some canning jars!
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Donielle Reply:
September 5th, 2011 at 9:57 am
@Diana Garcia, I’ve never used dried dill, but i do think fresh will definitely make a better product, as will canning salt vs regular salt. I’ve used coarse sea salt with decent results, but canning salt does make it look more appealing since there are no impurities in it.
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Hi there!
Just thought I would post that an alternative to Alum in pickles (for crisping them) is to use 1 fresh grape leaf per quart.
This works great!
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