My fruit and vegetable garden has finally reached notable size at this time of year, and now the real harvesting begins. Noticing a generous amount of cucumbers come through the back door, the man of the house put in a request for some Half-Sour Pickles. Bless his Jewish heart. Feeling up for the challenge this morning, I fulfilled his wishes. He likes his food spicy and I had a few ripe chili peppers in the garden so I added them but they're optional of course.
- 5-6 SMALL, FRESH CUCUMBERS washed thoroughly & the very tip of the stem side cut-off to prevent softening.
- 3-4 GARLIC CLOVES smashed
- 1/2 CUP PICKLING SPICE
- 2 TBSP WHOLE BLACK PEPPERCORNS
- SEVERAL SPRIGS OF FRESH DILL
- 1/2 CUP SALT
- 8 CUPS WATER
- CHILI PEPPERS (optional)
- WAX PAPER
- CANNING JARS ( I used 1Qt.Wide Mouth Ball jars but you can improvise
Combine WATER, SALT, GARLIC, DILL, BLACK PEPPERCORNS & PICKLING SPICE. Place CUKES into CANNING JARS. Add CHILI PEPPERS (if you like). Pour liquid mixture over CUCUMBERS until COMPLETELY COVERED.
Loosely cover with wax paper. Let sit in a cool place on the counter for about 2 days. Then seal the lid and refrigerate for about 8 days more before eating. Enjoy!