German Dill Pickles

Title: German Dill Pickles
Subject: water; vinegar; salt; cucumbers; powdered alum; dill; garlic; grape leaves
Description: German Dill Pickles

3 qts & 1 cup water good
1 qt vinegar 1C salt.

mix the ingredients, bring to
boiling, then cool. Fill qts jars
with cucumbers 3in long and
split length wise into quarters
add ¼ tsp of powdered alum

Back:
to each qt. 1 big bunch of dill
and a small clove garlic
pour over the pickling syrup
& seal. one may add grape
leaves. this makes about
6 qts. of pickles

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# German Dill Pickles

*Makes about 6 quarts*

## Ingredients

- 3 qts & 1 cup water
- 1 qt vinegar
- 1 cup salt
- Cucumbers, 3 inches long, split lengthwise into quarters
- 1/4 tsp powdered alum per quart jar
- 1 big bunch of dill per quart jar
- 1 small clove garlic per quart jar
- Grape leaves (optional)

## Instructions

1. Mix the water, vinegar, and salt together. Bring to boiling, then cool.
2. Fill quart jars with cucumbers that are 3 inches long and split lengthwise into quarters.
3. Add 1/4 tsp of powdered alum to each quart jar.
4. Add 1 big bunch of dill and a small clove of garlic to each quart jar.
5. Pour the pickling syrup over the cucumbers and seal.
6. One may also add grape leaves.

## Editor's Notes

- **"go"** — A mark appears after "3 qts & 1 cup water" on the first line; it appears to be a stray marking or annotation rather than an ingredient or instruction. It has been omitted from the formatted recipe.
- **"garlie"** — Transcribed as written; clearly intended as "garlic."
- **"1 qt vinegar"** and **"1C salt"** — Written on the same line separated by spacing; formatted as two separate ingredients for clarity.
- **"powdered alum"** — Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) was historically used in home pickle-making to maintain crispness. **Food safety note:** The USDA no longer recommends alum in modern home canning, as it is unnecessary when proper techniques are used and may cause digestive issues in large quantities. Consult current USDA or National Center for Home Food Preservation guidelines before using.
- **"seal"** — The card instructs to pour hot brine and seal, consistent with hot-pack canning. **Food safety note:** This recipe does not specify processing in a boiling water bath. Modern food safety guidelines recommend processing pickles in a boiling water bath canner for shelf stability. Consult current canning guidelines.
- **Brine cooling** — The card states to bring the brine to a boil then cool before pouring. This is somewhat unusual for canning; it may be intended as a cold-pack or refrigerator pickle method. The instruction has been reproduced as written.
- Instructions are split across both sides of the card.
- **Completeness tag:** `minor-gaps`
- **Source type:** `personal`
Creator: Alice Yetka, Martha Yetka
Source: RCA0006 - The Yetka family collection that started the project (eBay)
Date: 1950s
Rights: Personal/Family
Format: Handwritten recipe card
Identifier: RCA0006-20260609-0347
Coverage: Oregon, US