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Cold pack dill pickles

Cold pack dill pickles

Brine:

3 cups white vinegar

1 cup coarse salt (Morton's kosher)

1/2 cup sugar

11 cups water (bottled or spring water, not from the tap)

Pickles:

15-18 pounds pickling cucumbers, not peeled

Coarsely chopped fresh garlic (2 pinches per jar)

2 pieces of sprigs of fresh dill for each jar

To make brine: In a large crock or bowl, add vinegar, salt, sugar, and water. Mix well, making sure the salt and vinegar are dissolved. Set aside.

Cut ends off of cucumbers. Cut each cucumber into 4 to 6 spears, long enough to fit into a wide-mouth pint jar.

Add 1 piece of garlic and 1 piece of dill to each jar. Put cucumbers in jar, packing them tightly. Add the rest of the garlic and dill on the top of the cucumbers. Fill each jar to the brim with the brine; then tighten the lid by hand. Put in a cool place, but not the refrigerator. Room temperature is best. Never put the jars in the sun or in a hot room. About 24 hours later, put the jars in the refrigerator and keep them cold until they are gone.

Yield: 16 pints.