We made these last year and they came out great so when the pickling cukes looked good I sliced and made up a few jars and just 2 weeks later. I was going to bring a jar up to the annual Russo BBQ but I forgot,  poor them, lucky us. This year’s batch came out a little spicier but we thought, including everyone at work that the kick was nice.

What I like is that when empty I can add more slices to them and in 2 weeks start munching again.

Yield: About 5 pint jars or 2 quart jars.

Ingredients

• 8 ¼ cups sliced trimmed pickling cucumbers – We like thick slices but suppose you could do as thin as you want or spears if that is how you like them.
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 6 tablespoons pickling or canning salt (I used kosher salt)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice ( see recipe below if you want to make your own)
• 7 ½ teaspoons dill seeds
• 5 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 5 cloves garlic, halved (optional)

How

Place cucumber slices in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Set aside.

Combine vinegar, water, pickling salt, sugar and pickling spice in a medium stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes.

Pour pickling liquid over cucumber slices. Cover with waxed paper and set aside until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 ½ teaspoon dill seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon peppercorns and two garlic clove halves in each of one five pint jars. Add cucumber slices to within a generous ½-inch headspace of top of jar. Ladle pickling liquid into jar to cover cucumbers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Apply lids. For best results, allow cucumbers to marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and use within 3 months.

From “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving:

Home Made Pickling spice

• 2 Tblsp mustard seed
• 1 1/2 Tblsp whole allspice (you can use 1-2 Tblsp)
• Optional – 2  tsp coriander (add it if you’d like, it’s in most mixes)
• 1/2 tsp whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes (up to 1 tsp)
• 4 bay leaves, crumbled (I don’t think you can add too many of these, add more if you’d like)
• 1 cinnamon stick, 2-2 1/2″, crushed
• 1/2 tsp celery seed-optional
• 1 tsp black peppercorns

How

Break up cinnamon, tear bay leaves into bits, mix all, store in an airtight container.
This makes approx 4 Tblsp, enough for 2 quart jars of pickles. If there’s a little mix left over, just add it to your pickle jar and use it up.