GREAT AUNT LOLA'S DILL PICKLES

Shortly after I was married, my great Aunt Lola had me and my husband over for dinner. I don’t remember what she served beyond the dill pickles. They were the best dill pickles I’d ever eaten, and I raved about them. Being the kind of woman she was, Aunt Lola told me she’d give me the recipe and help me make my first batch.

True to her word, Aunt Lola provided me with the recipe; and when the time came, I went out and bought 20 pounds of cucumbers (medium and small), 20 bunches of garlic, a couple bunches of dill weed, canning salt and vinegar. Of course, I had to purchase canning jars as well.

That evening, I put the cucumbers in the washing machine (yes, washing machine), filled it with cold water and let them sit overnight. I also sat down and peeled those 20 bunches of garlic…my hands smelled like garlic (a good smell to me) for days. The next morning, I set the washer to spin and voila, the cucumbers were clean and ready to use. Nowadays, the energy efficient and electronically run washers don’t allow me to wash my cucumbers that way. Instead, I soak them overnight in cold water and then wash them one-by-one with a vegetable brush…so much more tedious and time-consuming. It’s also possible to purchase peeled garlic in big jars, but I enjoy the peeling time.

Aunt Lola and Uncle Ike showed up that morning and while my husband and uncle entertained each other, Aunt Lola showed me how to pack the jars with cucumbers, garlic and dill…you want to use as much dill as you can cram into the jar. Jars ready, we brought one cup of canning salt, three filled-to-the-brim quart jars of plain water and one, filled-to-the-brim quart jar of apple cider vinegar to a rolling boil and let it boil for a few minutes.

While the vinegar mixture was boiling, canning lids were placed in a pan of hot water so they’d be ready to seal the jars. Then, one-by-one, the quart jars were filled to the brim with the vinegar mixture. Using a clean wet cloth, the rim of each jar was wiped clean, a hot lid put in place and screwed down with the jar ring.

When Aunt Lola and I were finished, my counter was graced with 20 quarts of yummy dill pickles…well, they’d be yummy after they cured for about a month in a cool dark place. We also figured out how much it cost per jar and the total was 33 cents per jar. Aunt Lola also provided one additional piece of advice before she and Uncle Ike left that day:  “When guests compliment you on your pickles, don’t give them a jar because you’ll soon give them all away. Do what I did and provide the recipe and assistance if wanted.”

That was in 1968, and since then, I’ve made Aunt Lola’s dill pickles every single year. There were years when I made as many as 30 jars because I gave them as gifts at Christmas time with jars of homemade jam to family, friends and co-workers.  I also took Aunt Lola’s advice and over the years helped friends make their first batch of pickles.  Sadly, I know of only one individual who kept the recipe and made her own the following year. She may still do that, but we’ve lost touch, so I’m not sure if she’s continued.

Today, 16 quarts of Aunt Lola’s dill pickles are sitting on my counter waiting to be transported to the pantry where they can cure for the next month…the cost per quart was $1.65. I make fewer jars than when I was working because now I gift just family and close friends at Christmas time.

Great Aunt Lola was my favorite auntie, and all those years ago, I hoped at some point in my life, I’d be able to share her recipe with my daughters-in-law or grandkids. I’m not yet as old as Aunt Lola was when she shared with me, so there’s still time for me to pass this wonderful knowledge down to a family member. Perhaps this is the year when someone will rave about the icy-cold pickles I serve at dinner and want to learn how to make them.

Failing that, the instructions are within the body of this blog. If you decide you want to make dill pickles as a result, all I ask is that you call them Great Aunt Lola’s Dill Pickles and pass her recipe forward to anyone who loves your pickles.

And, for those of you who decide to make these dill pickles one additional note. Sometimes, you’ll find the lid on a jar hasn’t sealed. You don’t have to throw that jar away. Put the liquid in a pan, add a little water and bring to a boil. Refill the jar, seal with a new hot lid. One year, more than half the lids didn’t seal (old lids, worn out rubber), so I had to do this for all those…they were still yummy.