This morning my dear friend Toni pulled one of her classic ambushes, leaving a full bag of fresh garden cucumbers at my door. I had no choice but to get pickled. It's summertime after all.
Scrub, trim and slice approximately 24 four inch cucumbers and soak overnight with cold water and 1/3 cup of kosher salt.
Then prepare a brine of 8 cups of water, 1 quart of pickling vinegar, and one cup of kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
Boil lids and rings in a separate pot to sterilize them.
Sterilize 6-8 pint jars in the oven at 225 F for 10 minutes. Stuff the jars with the sliced cucumbers, sprigs of fresh washed dill, one or two garlic cloves, one red chili pepper and a teaspoon of pickling spices. Ladle the hot brine into the jars and shift the contents with a spoon until all the air bubbles are released. Using tongs, place sterilized lids and screw the rings into place. Process for 10 minutes or let stand until you hear the lids snap. Once cool, store in a dark place for several weeks. Any jars that do not form a seal, store in the refrigerator and eat within a week.
