Ingredients:
- 10 pounds of pickling cukes (yield about 8 jars)
- 5 cups white vinegar used for pickling
- 13 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup pickling salt…coarse
- garlic pieces (peeled and cut in half)…two pieces per jar
- fresh dill
- small dried red chili peppers…one or two pieces for each jar
Method:
- Wash cucumbers well...and leave in tub of cold water while packing jars.
- Mix vinegar, water, sugar and the salt in a large pot. Stir the mixture well. Heat to a rapid boil on medium-high….then keep simmering while filling jars.
- Prepare wide-mouth 1-quart jars. In each jar, put 1 piece of garlic, one head of dill, two small chili peppers and then enough cucumbers to fill the jar. Then add one more garlic piece and another sprig of dill.
- Fill jars slowly with the hot brine and seal (being sure to clean all residue from the top of the rim of the jar first).
- Place the lidded jars in boiling water bath for about 15 minutes…water in canner should cover the tops of the jars.
- The pickles should be stored in a cool place for two months before serving. (So they say...I’m not sure we ever waited that long!)
*If your water is hard, high in mineral content or has chlorine added, use bottled water.
** Pack the cukes into the jars really tight…they shrink as they are processed.
If you like a little zip to your pickles...be generous with the red chili peppers!
Enjoy!
