When I want to keep dill weed, I dry it in a dehydrator and thencrumble it up and place in quart canning jars. They get a vacuum seal by using the Food Saver canning jar adapter, and stadard canning lid. The last batch I did was two summers ago and its still as strong and bright green as if it was done last week. Adding teh dill to a vinegar broine, will sofen it greatly and by then the flavor is also lost a little, unless your tightly packing a jar full with dill weed and adding some vinegar, then refrigerate. When I make dill pickles its usually timed about the same time as the cukes ripening. I use both the leaves and some of the green seed heads (a little immature), which seem to have a bit more flavor than the tan color seed heads.

linda lou, I can't use my grandmother's recipe so I thought that I would be safer using a recipe that others have used recently. I figured if others have tried the recipes and hadn't had a problem that I was safe. Guess you cleared that one up for me also. I went back and looked at the recipes that I printed and you are right, they look to be unsafe, the vinegar to water ratios are not 50/50. I am so frustrated, why can't they give us back our high grade vinegar so that we can enjoy not only these pickle recipes, but our old fashioned recipes as well. I just want to scream right now lol. I'll take your advice and get myself an updated pickling book. Thanks for bringing this to my attention or I could have had a disaster on my hands. Of course as much as I love pickles(even drink the juice..not healthy I know,just can't help myself..I crave it), I guess dying from eating one might not be a bad thing he,he. Joking aside(this is not a joking matter, I know), thanks for setting me straight. ksrogers, thanks for the tips. I will use the hot pepper flakes for hot pickle recipes. I love hot pepper flakes and they are a lot cheaper than buying or growing hot peppers. I have a small garden and can't fit everything that I want in it now. You all are very wise. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to help me by answering my questions. Now I'm off to pickle, wish me luck ....Lisa

Nice recipe

They are called 'kosher' because the flavor is linked in most folks minds to the traditional Kosher Dill (supervised by a Rabbi) from the pickle companies of New York. The name just sticks. And the garlic is the primary difference although they may also include some additional pickling spices and greater amounts of dill. There are many dill pickle recipes that do not include garlic including those in the BBB, Joy of Pickling, and on NCHFP. But when garlic is added along with the dill then they become 'kosher' dills. Dave