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Additional ingredients for each jar:
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Whole dill stalks
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Mixed pickling spices
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Fresh garlic cloves ; peeled and sliced
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Whole small dried chili peppers
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Small pickling cucumbers
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Alum powder
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Have quart canning jars sterilized and ready before proceeding, along with new jar lids and rings.
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Heat water, vinegar and salt to a boil. Place a whole stalk of dill with seeds and 1 teaspoon pickling spices into each quart jar, add sliced garlic and/or a few dried chilis and pack jar with washed, unpeeled small pickling cucumbers.
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If you are using larger pickling cucumbers, you can cut them into spears for packing into the jars.
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Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon alum over each jar of pickles, pour hot brine over to cover. Make more brine as needed to ensure that all cucumbers are completely covered in each jar.
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Seal and process in water bath 10 minutes for quarts. Start counting time after water comes back to a boil.
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Remove from water bath after time is up and cool on a towel on the counter. Check for proper seal after several hours (lid should be down and not 'flex' up when pressed in the middle).
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Any jars not sealed will need to be refrigerated and used within a month. Pickles will need several weeks to cure in the brine and become pickles. Store jars in cool, dark place and refrigerate after opening.
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NOTES: The chilis turn them into zesty dill pickles. We always made some jars with chilis and some with just the garlic.
