DILL PICKLES

Dill Pickles

4 pounds small pickling cucumbers
4 1/4 cups water
4 cups white vinegar
6 tablespoons canning salt
Garlic cloves, chopped
Fresh dill or dill seed
Peppercorns
Mustard seed

Prepare home canning jars and lids. Wash cucumbers and trim ends. Cut into halves or quarters, lengthwise. Combine water, vinegar and salt; bring to boil. Pack cucumbers into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Add 2 heads of dill or 1/4 cup dill seed, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed, 2 peppercorns and 1 chopped garlic clove to each jar. Carefully pour hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with nonmetallic spatula. Adjust caps. Process pints 15 minutes in boiling water bath canner.

Yields 6 to 8 pints.