Fellow Addict here. When I was a child my parents thought I had the mumps and Grandma said "Give her dill pickles, if she can't eat them then she has the mumps." I ate the whole jar and then I went over to Grandma's house that week to stay while mom was at work because I had the mumps.
Here is my favorite recipe.
8 lbs. of 3- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers
2 gallons water
1-1/4 c canning or pickling salt (divided)
1-1/2 qts vinegar (5 percent acidity)
1/4 c sugar
2 qts water
4 TBSP whole mixed pickling spice
1/2 - 1 tsp whole mustard seed per qt jar
14 heads of fresh dill (or 1 tsp of dill seed per pint jar)
1/2 tsp or 1 clove garlic (opt.)
1. Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch slice off blossom end and discard, but leave 1/4 inch of stem attached. Dissolve 3/4 cup salt in 2 gallons of water. Pour over cucumbers and let stand overnight in frig. Drain.
2. Combine vinegar, 1/2 cup salt, sugar, and 2 quarts water. Add mixed pickling spices tied in a clean, white cloth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 min. bring back to a boil.
3. Fill sterile jars with cold cucumbers. Add 1/2-1 tsp. mustard seed, 1/2 tsp garlic and 1-1/2 heads fresh dill per pint. Cover with boiling pickling solution, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in boiling water bath, pints 5 minutes, quarts 5-7 minutes.
For crisp pickles make sure the cucumber are cold and the jars are hot. I sterilize mine then set them in a 200 degree oven to stay warm until I fill them. Also process in the water bath for the least amount of time possible. The longer you cook them to softer they get. So use boiling brine to fill the hot jars and make sure the water bath is boiling before you start filling your jars.
For more heat, add a little hot pepper. What ever type you prefer, I just use 1 - 2 peppers, cut them up and place a little in each jar. Some recipe call for a whole pepper in each jar but I am not a fire breather so I don't like them much.
Thanks everyone!!!
Can't complain!!
