Yields approximately 2 quarts
• 2¼ lbs. pickling cucumbers
• 1 pint cider vinegar
• 1½ cups water
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• 2 Tbs. salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 to 6 whole cloves
• ¼ tsp. celery seeds
• ½ tsp. whole peppercorns
• ½ tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. dill seeds or 2 heads fresh dill weed
1. Wash the cucumbers and quarter them lengthwise.
2. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and bay leaf in an enameled pot. Put the cloves, celery seeds, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and ½ teaspoon of the dill seeds in a muslin bag and add it to the vinegar mixture. (If using fresh dill, omit the dill seeds here.) Bring this liquid to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the bay leaf and spice bag from the vinegar. Put ¼ tsp. dill seeds, or 1 head fresh dill weed, into each of 2 clean quart jars. Fit the cucumber spears as compactly as possible into the jars and pour the hot vinegar mixture over them. The cucumbers should be completely covered with the liquid, and there should be at least ½ inch of headroom at the top.
4. Screw down the lids and process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 20 minutes. Allow the pickles to cool, check the seals, and label the jars.
5. The pickles will improve in flavor if left to ripen for a few months.
