Dill Pickles

As part of my pickling predicament, I am trying my hand once again at a Dill Pickle. I tried this a long time ago and ended up with rubbering grossness, which put me off pickling for a long time. Instead of spears, I'm trying this time "chips" — pickles for sandwiches. Unfortunately, Fred Meyer didn't have any fresh dill heads, so I must resort to dry spices. I've consulted a few different recipes on the Internet and in cookbooks; here's my variation.

4 pounds cucumbers

1/4 cup salt

5 cups cider vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

6 teaspoons mustard seeds

6 teaspoons black peppercorns

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

6 teaspoons coriander seeds

12 teaspoons dill seed

6 teaspoons pickling spice

The night before: Wash cucumbers and slice off flower end. Dissolve salt in about a gallon of water and cover cucumbers in a non-corrosive container. Cover and let stand overnight.

The day of: Drain and rinse cucumbers. Slice and hold in cold water. Place vinegar, sugar and salt in non-corrosive saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Evenly distribute spices among sterilized canning jars (6 pint jars). Drain cucumbers and pack in jars. Add vinegar, leaving 1/4-inch headroom. Seal jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.