Dill pickles are considered to be a kind of delicacy in America. It is served as a snack or an appetizer. Dill pickle recipe is quite easy to follow. The ingredients required for making dill pickles are as follows;

1. 3 to 4 kilo grams moderate sized cucumbers (about 10 cm long)
2. 4 cups white vinegar used for pickling
3. 12 cups water
4. 2 small sized hot peppers (may be dried or fresh ones)
5. 2/3 cup salt used for pickling (Take care that the salt is coarse)
6. 16 garlic pieces (peeled and cut in halves)
7. 8 stems of fresh weeds of dill
8. 8 heads of fresh weeds of dill

The dill pickle recipe is as follows;

1. Wash cucumbers well. Remove the ends of the cucumbers which may have dirt in them. Place these washed cucumbers in a tub or a sink full of cold water with ice cubes. Soak them in this cold water for about 2 hours and not more than that. Change the ice cubes as frequently as required.

2. Mix vinegar, water, peppers and the salt used for pickling in a large pot. Stir the mixture well. Place this pot on a medium flame. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil.

3. Sterilize the jars in which the pickles are to be stored. For sterilization, place the jars and their lids in boiling water for about 10 minutes. The sterilization is done to avoid contamination and ensuring longer life of the pickles.

4. In each jar, put 2 half cut cloves of garlic, one head of dill, and then required cucumbers so that the jar is filled. After placing the cucumbers, place 2 more half cut garlic cloves, 1 fresh sprig of dill.

5. After adding all the ingredients, put the hot mixture removed from the flame in the jars slowly. Seal the jars by tightly placing the lids. The rims of the lids should also be cleaned to remove any dirt or residues.

6. Place the lidded jars in boiling water tub or a water bath. Let the jars boil for about 15 minutes.

7. The pickles must be stored for at least 2 months (8 weeks) before consuming. After the storing period ends, the pickles must be refrigerated.

8. Place the pickles in cool and dry place so that they last longer, generally up to 2 years.

The shelf life of the dill pickles is at least 1 ½ to 2 years. The dill pickles can be eaten directly or with some main course dishes. Dill pickles are very tasty to eat. Dill pickle recipe is easy and can be done at home. However, it does take a long time to get ready to consume. But the wait is worth while