- 15 mins
- 195 mins
Ingredients
- 1 large (46 ounce) jar whole sour dill pickles, about 6 cups sliced (not kosher dill)
- 2-1/2 cups of granulated sugar, divided
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced or thinly sliced and divided
- 2 teaspoons of pickled jalapeno, chopped, or to taste, can also substitute fresh jalapeno peppers if desired
- 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons of pickling spice, divided, optional (recipe below)
Preparation
Step 1
Drain the pickles and discard juice but reserve the jar. Slice the pickles into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and divide into four equal parts.
Begin layering into a larger jar, bowl or container, starting with one-fourth of the pickles - in my case it was roughly a 1-1/2 cup measure of pickles per layer. Top the pickles with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 clove of garlic sliced or chopped, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of chopped jalapeno, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pickling spice, if using, dropping a clove in between the layers. Continue repeating the layers, pouring all of the remaining sugar on top.
Cover jar and store on the counter for about an hour, or until the sugar begins to liquify. Stir or simply shake to mix the pickles well, and pull any undissolved sugar up from the bottom. Cover and leave on the counter for several more hours, or overnight. Stir and refrigerate 1 to 2 additional days. If desired, transfer the pickles with their juices back into the original or other smaller jars and store in the refrigerator. Avoid consuming the whole pickling spices.
Use for snacking, in sandwiches and burgers, in potato and pasta salads, or wherever you would usually eat pickles!
Cook's Note: To keep these on the mild site, simply eliminate the jalapeno and red pepper flakes. Use a large jar (around 46 ounces) of plain, whole, sour dill pickles and slice them 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick for best results. Don't use kosher dills. They don't react well to this process and just turn into a shriveled mess. Be cautious about generics. I used the large jar of Great Value dill pickles and they shriveled on me even though they were not marked kosher. Okay to substitute Splenda for the sugar.
Homemade Pickling Spice:
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
1 tablespoon of whole mustard seed
1/2 tablespoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves, optional
1 small bay leaf, crushed
Combine ingredients. Use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of mixture per layer.