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1
Wash 1 quart, 2 pint or 4 half-pint jars.
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2
Keep hot until needed.
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3
Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.
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4
Thoroughly wash cucumbers, gently scrub off blossom ends (if you don't remove the blossom end, the pickles may become soft during aging).
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5
Pack the hot jars with the cucumbers.
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6
Add the dill heads, hot pepper, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and pickling salt.
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7
Remember to reduce the salt accordingly if using pints or half pints.
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8
Pour 1 cup vinegar into each quart jar (1/2 cup for pints; 1/4 cup for half pints).
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9
Fill to 1/2- inch of the top with boiling water.
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10
Wipe jar rim with clean cloth, attach lid.
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11
Fill and close remaining jars.
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12
Process by either low-temperature pasteurization or boiling-water method.
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13
Low-temperature pasteurization: Place jars in canner half-filled with warm water (120 to 140 degrees).
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14
Then, add hot water to a level 1 inch above jars.
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15
Heat the water enough to maintain 180 to 185 degrees for 30 minutes (for altitudes of 1,000 to 3,000 feet, process 35 minutes; from 3,000 to 6,000 feet, 40 minutes; above 6,000 feet, 45 minutes).
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16
Check water temperature with a candy or jelly thermometer; it should be at least 180 degrees during the entire processing time.
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17
Temperatures higher than 185 degrees may cause unnecessary softening of pickles.
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18
Boiling-water canner: For pints, process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes; at 1,000 to 6,000 feet, 15 minutes; above 6,000 feet, 20 minutes.
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19
For quarts, process for 15 minutes; at 1,000 to 6,000 feet, 20 minutes; above 6,000 feet, 25 minutes.
