Hot Garlic Dills
4 quart jars, rings, and lids
Sterilize and keep hot rings and lids.
In each quart jar, place:
1/4 tsp. alum
2 peeled garlic cloves
2 heads fresh dill, or 2 tsps. dried dillweed, or 2 teaspoons dried dill seed
1 or 2 dried hot peppers
2 peeled pearl onions
Pack cucumbers tightly on top of all this, and place in open stock pot; bring to a boil and remove.
Also, in a separate non-reactive pot, bring to a boil:
2 cups white or cider vinegar
1/2 cup pickling salt
4 cups water.
Ladle hot vinegar mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Place lid and ring on top to seal. Make sure jars are sealed tightly before storing. Pickles will be ready in 6 weeks.
NOTE: We left out the hot peppers since our little ones are the pickle-eaters in our house. That'd just be a dirty trick.
