Pickles

I ordered a box of pickling cucumbers from http://bountifulbaskets.org thinking I would can a few jars... I ended up with 20 quarts of pickles! I cannot wait to try them! It was much more simple to do than I thought, but it sure did smell up the house! I've included the canning directions for any that might want to try it...just remember the ingredients are for 1 quart.

1/2 lb 4-inch pickling cucumbers (5-6 cucumbers) Note: Mine were about 6 inches
4 heads fresh dill or 2 tablespoons dillseed (WalMart sells small jars, otherwise try to find bulk!)
1 teaspoon mustard seed (WM sells them also)
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pickling salt (WM again)

Preparing: Thoroughly rinse cucumbers; remove stems and blossom ends. Pack cucumbers loosely into hot, clean quart jar(s), leave a 1/2 inch headspace. Add dill and mustard seed to each quart. Make brine by combining water, vinegar and salt. Bring to boiling.
Water-Bath Canning: Slowly pour hot brine over cucumbers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rim; adjust lid.
Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes for quarts (start timing when water boils). Let pickles stand at least 1 week before opening. Makes 1 quart.