Ingredients
- 1/2 bushel 4" cucumbers
- 25 garlic cloves
- powdered alum
- 50 dill heads
- 25 hot, dried, red peppers
- coarse salt
- 1 gallon white vinegar
- 25 qt mason jars with lids and rings
Directions
- Prepare brine consisting of 1/2 cup coarse salt for each gallon of water.
- Scrub cucumbers and allow to stand overnight in brine.
- Clean mason jars.
- Make fresh brine by combining 3 qts water with 1 qt white vinegar and 1/2 cup coarse salt. Bring to a boil.
- In the meantime, place mason jars in a 250 degree oven for 1/2 hour.
- In saucepan, cover rings and lids with water and bring to boil, reduce to simmer.
- Slice cucumbers lengthwise or leave whole.
- Remove one jar at a time from oven and pack with 1 dill head, 1/8 tsp alum, 1 red pepper and 1 split garlic clove.
- Fill jar with cucumbers and place another dill head on top. Do not allow cucumber to touch lid.
- Fill with boiling brine, leaving 1/2 " headspace, and seal.
- Allow to cool before storing.
- When made in mid-August, these will be ready by Hallowe’en.
