This is an important post for me because I have never canned before and this is my introduction to the process. I want to learn to can because I am constantly looking for sugar free sweet pickles and they are hard to find. This way I will have my own stock of them and I also intend to can Sugar Free Sweet Pickle Relish as well. Had to learn the procedure. Kind of knew how it worked, but found out while I was doing research on creating the relish, not everyone does, because the first research was from a fairly large company, that shall remain nameless, who messed up and told how to do it incorrectly and fortunately I read a remark where a reader explained why their method was unsafe. Live and learn and pass that knowledge on to you as I learn.
STEVIA SWEET PICKLES FOR CANNING
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lbs pickling cucumbers 4-5 inches long
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 ounce whole mixed pickling spice tied in a cheesecloth
- 1 onion chopped
- fresh garlic optional
- 20 1 g packets stevia, I used NOW Foods brand, be sure to check the sugar equivalency charts of your stevia brand
Instructions
- Scrub cucumbers, quarter them lengthwise, and place them in a large glass bowl with salt and cover with ice water. Mix to dissolve salt. Ensure all cucumbers are submerged (use a dinner plate to hold them down) and put them in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- Bring canner water to a boil. Throughly wash 6 pint canning jars and lids, and place them in the water. Ensure the water level covers the caps on the jars. Leave them in simmering water until ready to fill.
- Drain cucumbers and rinse 2 or 3 times in cold water. Set aside.
- Bring vinegar, water, and 1 tsp Kosher salt to a boil. Add onion and cheesecloth filled with pickling spice. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add stevia and stir until dissolved.
- Bring the canner rack up and raise the heat to boil. Take one jar out of the rack, draining the water. Add optional garlic to the jar and fill with cucumbers. (It is easier to turn the jar on its side to do this.) Fill jar with simmering pickling liquid, leaving 1/2 inch head space.
- Slide a nonmentallic spatula or a chopstick between the cucumbers in the jar to release air pockets. Repeat a few times.
- Remove a 2 piece lid from the hot water. Wipe jar rim and lid with a clean dry cloth. Screw the lid band down, just until resistence is met. Set the jar into the rack and repeat from step 5 until all jars are filled.
- Lower the rack into the canner pot and put the lid on. Start a timer for 15 minutes and process the jars at a gentle but steady boil.
- After 15 minutes, raise canner rack and carefully remove the jars, setting them on a dry towel to cool. Do not jar, shake or tip jars. Leave them be for 24 hours.
