Brined Dill Pickles????

I am ready to make a batch of dill pickles and I am using my trusty Ball Blue Book. The only recipe I see for Dill pickles with garlic that do NOT have sugar are the Brined Dill Pickle. Anyone try it? Won't brining make for mushy pickles? Any other suggestion for a good garlic dill pickle? I have made pickles several times, but never brining. Hmmmmmm

If you're referring to 'Brined Dill Pickles', in my Ball book it's on page 45, I've used it several years, and it's my favorite. Not mushy at all. I really don't understand why the brining is necessary since the cukes are packed in the same brine. But I don't feel I know enough to deviate from the recipe.

milaneyjane wrote:I am ready to make a batch of dill pickles and I am using my trusty Ball Blue Book. The only recipe I see for Dill pickles with garlic that do NOT have sugar are the Brined Dill Pickle. Anyone try it? Won't brining make for mushy pickles? Any other suggestion for a good garlic dill pickle? I have made pickles several times, but never brining. Hmmmmmm

I have a question out of complete ignorance ....



Is the fact that sugar is used in the Ball pickling recipies a ("valid") concern?


Both my parents are diabetic, and my mother's diabetes can only be controlled with massive level of injectables. Both of them are very good (responsible) with their food type intake and I keep the "usual" diabetic-friendly foodstuffs around to accomodate their dietary needs when they visit.


However, they come up every 1 to 2 weeks and gorge themselves on those pickles while they are here & usually end up taking a huge jar of them home for consumption during the week. I make the Kosher Garlic Dill pickles almost exclusively & use a modified version of that Ball recipie to do my pickled garlic, onions, peppers, beans, etc. for them.


My parents don't report any ill effects and they don't think its a concern because the sugar is used in the pickling solution, and they aren't drinking the "pickle juice".


I have no clue if they are right/wrong.... but obviously don't want to "kill them with kindness"

With the Ball dill pickles recipe (pg. 50), you can probably omit the 3/4 cup sugar without any dire consequences. I think it is only for flavor and the Ball Dill Pickle recipe has plenty of salt and vinegar, do not change those amounts. FYI there are 192 carbs in 1 cup of sugar, so you can ROUGHLY calculate carb intake. For the Dill recipe that translates to 20 carbs per pint. Acara, I think your parents are safe to count 2-4 carbs per pickle.

The alternative sugar free brine recipe for hot garlic like pickles is the Dilly Bean recipe on Ball Blue Book 100th Anniversary edition pg.56.

TNX ...That helps alot.



I replaced my Balls books last fall & have both those editions on the bookshelf ..... so I'll check out the alternate recipie.

The only reason I didn't want the sugar is the rest of the family doesn't care for sweetened pickles. Guess we will try the brined pickles

milaneyjane wrote:The only reason I didn't want the sugar is the rest of the family doesn't care for sweetened pickles. Guess we will try the brined pickles

If you want to follow the dill recipe for the brine you can certainly add sugar to taste. The Dilly bean brine is quite hot but oh so tasty...