Pickling

There are many recipes  for making pickles, but generally the same ingredients are needed (make sure you pick your cucumbers before they ripen:

Ingredients for dill pickles (for 12 lbs of cucumbers)

-          1 gallon cider vinegar

-          1 quart water

-          1 cup kosher salt

-          1 cup granulated sugar

-          1 cup white mustard seeds

-          1 bulb fresh garlic (peel and cut the cloves)

-          1 bunch of dill

-          3 small hot red peppers

Ingredients for pickles (2 cups of cucumbers)

-          1 cup onions

-          1 cup vinegar

-          ¼ cup kosher salt

-          1 cup water

-          ¾ cup sugar

-          ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

-          ½ teaspoon turmeric

-          ½ teaspoon ginger

-          ½ teaspoon celery seeds

1.       Wash the cucumbers and cut off the stems

2.       Set the cucumbers into a clean jar, either whole or cut

3.       Mix the ingredients and bring them to a simmer for about 30 minutes

4.       After 30 minutes of heating, bring the mixture to a boil.  Once the liquid begins to boil, immediately transfer the liquid to the container with the cucumbers ¼ inch from the top and cover it quickly.

5.       Let the jar sit in a location where air is well circulated until the container cools down to room temperature

6.       Once it reaches room temperature, re-locate the jar to a cool, dark area and let it sit for a few days.  Begin tasting the cucumbers every 24 hours until they reach your preferential taste.