Safety classification
● Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
- Method
- Fermentation, then tested heat processing
- Jar size
- Pint or quart jars
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
- Yield
- 1-gallon recipe batch
Safety classification
● Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation
Safety reviewed: 09/21/2026
Processing details
- Method
- Fermentation, then tested heat processing
- Jar size
- Pint or quart jars
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
- Yield
- 1-gallon recipe batch
Tested source
NCHFP: Fermented Dill Pickles. Preserve every tested proportion, preparation control, jar limit, headspace, time, temperature, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the correct canner and jars.
- Ferment about 3–4 weeks at 70–75°F or 5–6 weeks at 55–65°F; avoid temperatures above 80°F. Keep cucumbers submerged. The recipe permits either altitude-adjusted boiling-water processing or 180–185°F low-temperature pasteurization for 30 minutes; maintain 1 inch of water above jars.
- Fill jars using the tested pack style and headspace.
- Process with the schedule below.
- Cool 12–24 hours and check seals.
Equipment
- Correct boiling-water or pressure canner for this recipe
- Pint or quart jars, lids, and bands
- Nonreactive cookware and measuring tools
- Canning funnel, jar lifter, headspace tool, and timer
Visual method guide
- Prepare
- Measure exactly
- Complete tested preparation
- Fill to 1/2 inch
- Process
- Cool and check
Safety essentials
Ferment about 3–4 weeks at 70–75°F or 5–6 weeks at 55–65°F; avoid temperatures above 80°F. Keep cucumbers submerged. The recipe permits either altitude-adjusted boiling-water processing or 180–185°F low-temperature pasteurization for 30 minutes; maintain 1 inch of water above jars.
Do not change the tested formula, substitute an unapproved process, or use larger jars. Refrigerate unsealed jars.
About this recipe
Fermented Dill Pickles is a tested NCHFP home-canning recipe with a yield of 1-gallon recipe batch.
Before you begin
Read the complete source procedure and prepare all equipment before filling jars. Safety depends on the recipe-specific controls shown here and in the card.
Tested source
NCHFP: Fermented Dill Pickles. Preserve every tested proportion, preparation control, jar limit, headspace, time, temperature, pressure, and altitude adjustment.
Fermented Dill Pickles — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 4 lb pickling cucumbers about 4 inches long
- 2 Tbsp dill seed or 4–5 heads fresh or dry dill weed
- 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
- 1/4 cup vinegar 5% acidity
- 8 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic optional
- 2 dried red peppers optional
- 2 tsp whole mixed pickling spices optional
Equipment
- 1 Fermentation container Food-safe, 1-gallon capacity
- Fermentation weight and cover Keep cucumbers 1–2 inches under brine
- Canning jars and two-piece lids Pints or quarts
- 1 Water-bath canner or suitable vessel Use a rack; water must cover jars by 1 inch
- 1 Accurate thermometer Independently verify 180–185°F throughout
Directions
- Wash cucumbers. Remove a 1/16-inch slice from each blossom end; leave about 1/4 inch of stem.
- Put half the dill and optional spices in a clean, suitable fermentation container. Add cucumbers, then remaining dill and spices.
- Dissolve the salt in the 5% vinegar and water. Pour over cucumbers. Apply a suitable cover and weight so cucumbers remain submerged.
- Ferment at 70–75°F for about 3–4 weeks. At 55–65°F, allow 5–6 weeks. Avoid temperatures above 80°F. Check several times weekly and promptly remove surface scum or mold. Discard the batch if pickles become soft, slimy, or develop a disagreeable odor.
- Pour the brine into a pan, heat slowly to a boil, and simmer 5 minutes. Filter through paper coffee filters if desired.
- Pack fully fermented pickles into jars and cover with hot brine, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Apply lids.
- Validated low-temperature option for this recipe only: place jars on a rack in a canner half filled with 120–140°F water. Add hot water to 1 inch above jar tops. Maintain 180–185°F for 30 minutes, verifying that the water stays at least 180°F for the full 30 minutes. Temperatures above 185°F may soften pickles.
- Alternatively, use the recipe’s altitude-adjusted boiling-water process: pints 10/15/20 minutes and quarts 15/20/25 minutes at 0–1,000 ft / 1,001–6,000 ft / above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Chill after opening and serve in portions appropriate to the finished preserve.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the process?
No. Follow the tested source and recipe card exactly.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate promptly or follow current NCHFP corrective guidance within 24 hours.
Recipe context
Do not combine this record with another preservation formula.
Troubleshooting
Verify jar size, headspace, complete processing control, and seals. If processing is interrupted, do not treat the jar as shelf stable.
Source & provenance
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
12–25 lb of Pickling cucumbers per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.