Dill Pickles

Following these steps will guarantee, crisp dill pickles. Enjoy them
as part of a relish try, as garnishes for sandwich plates, or low-calorie
snacks. For perfect pickles, choose firm cucumbers without shriveled
or soft spots. For best results, cucumbers should be pickled the
same day they're picked.

2-1/4 pounds 4-inch pickling cucumbers (about 36 cucumbers)
3-3/4 cups water
3-3/4 cups white or cider vinegar
6 tablespoons pickling salt
12 to 18 heads fresh dill or 6 to 8 tablespoons dill seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed

Prepare cucumbers

When making any kind of pickles, choose a pickling variety of
cucumber. The cucumbers you enjoy in your salad do not make good
quality pickles. Select cucumbers that have not been coated with wax
since the brine will not penetrate the coating. Wash cucumbers
thoroughly and scrub with a vegetable brush, if needed. Soil trapped
on the cucumbers may be the source of bacteria that will soften the
pickles. Remove stems and cut off a slice from each end. Enzymes at
the blossom end of the cucumber may also cause softening.

Prepare brine

Pickling brine is a mixture of water, vinegar, and pickling salt. Choose
either a white or cider vinegar, although the darker cider may impart a
dark color to the pickles. Always use a pickling or canning salt. Other
salts may contain anti-caking agents that can cause the brine to be
cloudy. Do not reduce the amount of salt or vinegar listed in the recipe.
Successful results depend of correct proportions.

To prepare the brine, combine the water, vinegar, and salt in a
saucepan. Heat until the mixture boils. 

Filling jars and processing

Pack the cleaned cucumbers loosely into hot, clean pint canning jars,
leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Measure the headspace from the top
the food to the rim of the jar with a clean ruler. Add 2 to 3 heads of dill
or 3 to 4 teaspoons of dill seed and 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed to
each jar. Place a wide-mouth plastic funnel in the jar and ladle the hot
brine over the cucumbers. Remove the funnel. Release trapped air
bubbles in the jar by gently working a narrow rubber spatula around the
jar’s sides. Add additional brine, if needed, to maintain the 1/2-inch
headspace. Wipe the jar rim with a clean, damp paper towel.

Any food on the rim prevents a prefect seal. Position a prepared lid
and screw band on the jar and tighten according to manufacturer’s
directions.

Place each jar into the canner as it is filled. The jars should not touch.
Cover the canner. Process filled jars in the boiling water for 10 minutes.
Begin counting the processing time when the water returns to boiling.

When the jars have cooled, press the center of each lid to check the
seal. If the dip in the lid holds, the jar is sealed. Let jars stand 1 week
before using.

Makes 6 pints

Note: If the lid bounces up and down, the jar isn’t sealed. Unsealed
jars should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 3 days.
Label the jars with the contents and date. Store up to 1 year in a
cool, dry place.

from:  Better Homes & Gardens