Fresh Pack Dills

Ingredients

• 14 lb (6.5 kg) pickling cucumbers (4 inch)
• 16 cups ice cubes*
• 8 cups water*
• 1 cup pickling salt*
• 8 cups water*
• 6 cups white vinegar*
• 3/4 cup pickling salt*
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar*
• 2 tbsp mixed pickling spice, tied in cheesecloth bag*
• 14 tsp mustard seed
• 14 - 21 heads fresh dill
• 14 - 21 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Wash cucumbers thoroughly. Trim 1/8 inch off stem and blossom ends. Layer cucumbers and ice in a large non-reactive container.
2. In a bowl, combine 8 cups water and 1 cup salt, stirring to dissolve salt. Pour over cucumbers. Add additional cold water, if necessary, to just cover cucumbers. Place a weight on top of cucumbers to hold them under water. Refrigerate overnight.
3. To prepare pickling liquid, combine 8 cups water, vinegar, 3/4 cup salt, sugar and pickling spice in a nonreactive Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Boil gently for 5 minutes. Remove spice bag. Drain cucumbers from salt mixture.
4. In each hot sterilized jar, place 2 tsp mustard seed, 2 - 3 heads dill and 2 - 3 cloves garlic. Pack cucumbers into jars. Pour boiling pickling liquid over cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a narrow rubber spatula or plastic knife. Add additional pickling liquid, if required, to maintain headspace. Wipe jar rims thoroughly with a clean damp cloth.
5. Seal and process for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath. For altitudes higher than 3000 ft (914 m), add 5 minutes to processing time.