How long to water bath can quarts of dill pickles
Process dill pickles for 15 minutes (quarts) in a boiling-water canner at 0–1,000 ft, then add minutes as altitude rises: +5 at 1,001–3,000 ft, +10 at 3,001–6,000 ft, +15 at 6,001–8,000 ft and +20 at 8,001–10,000 ft.
Quarts of dill pickles by altitude
| Altitude | Quarts |
|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 15 min |
| 1,001–3,000 ft | 20 min |
| 3,001–6,000 ft | 25 min |
| 6,001–8,000 ft | 30 min |
| 8,001–10,000 ft | 35 min |
Other jar sizes: half-pints and pints · all dill pickles times
What the time assumes
- Method: boiling-water (water bath) canner
- Acidity: high-acid (or acidified)
- Headspace: ½ inch
- No tested process: half-gallons. Putby shows no time for this size.
Quick (fresh-pack) dill pickles, processed in a boiling-water canner. Never cut the vinegar in a tested pickle recipe.
Questions
- How long do you water bath can quarts of dill pickles?
- Process dill pickles for 15 minutes (quarts) in a boiling-water canner at 0–1,000 ft, then add minutes as altitude rises: +5 at 1,001–3,000 ft, +10 at 3,001–6,000 ft, +15 at 6,001–8,000 ft and +20 at 8,001–10,000 ft.
- How long do you process dill pickles at 5,000 feet?
- 25 minutes for quarts at 3,001–6,000 ft: the 15-minute tested time plus 10 minutes for altitude.
- What headspace should I leave for dill pickles?
- Leave ½ inch of headspace.
Sources
- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 6 (Fermented Foods & Pickled Vegetables) · NCHFP
Times and pressures are restated from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, in our own words. They are the same table Putby's app uses; a test in the app fails if the two ever disagree. Altitude schedule: Putby adds minutes to boiling-water processes in five steps up to 10,000 ft; at the higher steps that can be a few minutes longer than a food's own USDA altitude table, never shorter. If your tested recipe gives a longer time, use the recipe's time. Last reviewed 2026-10-16.