I use small whole pickling cucumbers about 3 to 4 inches long. Slice of about 1/8th inch from the blossom end and wash pickles in cool water.
Use 14 pounds of cucumbers layered in about 16 cups of ice and 8 cups of cold water. Add 1 cup of pickling salt and let rest overnight. (I use a rubbermaid container for icing).
Prepare and sterilize 12(sometimes I only use 9 or 10~depends on the size of your cucumbers)of the 1 litre bottles for preserving.
My pickling liquid has 16 cups of water, 12 cups of white vinegar, 1 and 1/2 cups of pickling salt, 1/2 cup white sugar, 4 tbsp of whole pickling spice(tied in cheesecloth). I boil this gently for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile in each preserve bottle add 2 tsp of mustard
seed, 2-3 heads of fresh dill OR (2 tbsp of dill
seed or dill
weed). 2 peeled cloves of garlic (optional~I make some with it, some with out it).
Drain and quick rinse your cucumbers and pack in the jars on top of the spices. Pour in your hot pickling liquid and seal up.
Place in hot water bath canner and process for 15 minutes.
Quick, easy and delicious.