Ingredients:
8 lbs. pickling cucumbers,
3 to 5 inches long
2 gallons water
3⁄4 cups canning and pickling salt

Pickling solution

11⁄2 quarts vinegar (5% acetic acid)
1⁄2 cup canning and pickling salt
1⁄4 cup sugar
2 quarts water
2 tbsp. whole mixed pickling spice
3 to 4 tbsp. whole mustard seed (1 tsp. per pint jar)
10 to 12 fresh dill heads,washed
(11⁄2 heads per pint jar), or 1 tbsp. dill seed or dill weed per pint jar
1 or 2 garlic cloves per jar, peeled (optional)

Method:
Wash cucumbers carefully.

Trim 1⁄16 inch from the blossom end and
discard.

But leave 1⁄4-inch stem attached.

Prepare brine by dissolving 3⁄4 cups salt in 2 gallons water.

Pour over cucumbers, cover and let stand
12 hours.

Drain.

Prepare pickling solution of vinegar, 1⁄2 cup salt, sugar and 2 quarts water in a large saucepan.

Add mixed pickling spices tied in a clean cheesecloth bag.

Heat to boiling.

Remove the spice bag.

Pack cucumbers into clean, hot pint or quart jars, leaving 1⁄2-inch head space.

If desired, add 1 teaspoon mustard seed, 11⁄2 fresh dill heads and 1 or 2 garlic cloves per jar.

Cover cucumbers with hot pickling solution, leaving 1⁄2-inch head space.

Remove bubbles with a rubber spatula.

Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth.

Cap jars with pretreated lids.

Adjust lids.

Process in a boiling water canner. 15 minutes for pints, 20 minutes
for quarts.