pickles

now that i've tried my pickles...i know that i don't like pickling spice...at least not the kind that is pre-mixed. The dill pickle here is sooo good: http://greensandthings.blogspot.com/search/label/pickles. Super spicy.

But I'd like to have something that's not so spicy...I could just cut back on the hot peppers...but this sounds good too:

Spiced garlic dill pickles

5 lbs (2 1/4 kg) pickling cucumbers, ends cut

4.5 cups white vinegar

4.5 cups water

1/3 cup pickling salt

8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved (more or less, depending on number of jars, use two halves per jar)

1 fistful of dill sprigs per jar (or 1 tsp dill seeds, total)

1 tsp each: celery seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds

First, crisp up your cukes by placing them in a bowl with a bunch of ice cubes and cover them with water (after you’ve scrubbed them clean and trimmed their ends). Let them soak for at least two hours, a few more is fine. When you’re ready, bring the brine (vinegar, water, salt and spices) to a boil, then simmer for five minutes.

Halve garlic cloves, separate dill into bunches (one per jar). Drain the cukes. Put a little dill, half a garlic clove and some tightly-packed cukes into sterilized jars (I boil mine in the canner), then a little more dill and another half clove of garlic. Pour the brine over top, leaving about 1/2 inch (just over 1 cm) of headspace. Process jars in a water bath for 30 minutes, making sure the temp stays between 180 F/82 C and 185 F/85 C.