fast favorite garlic dill pickles

original recipe courtesy the complete book of year-round small-batch preserving, by ellie topp and margaret howard.

often called kosher-style dill pickles, these are quick to make. use either small whole cucumbers or cut larger ones into quarters. for an additional interesting flavor, tuck a small dried hot red pepper into each jar.

makes 2 pint (500 ml) jars.

4-5 small pickling cucumbers (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 heaping tablespoons coarse salt
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp pickling salt
2 tsp dill seeds
2 small cloves garlic

cut a thin slice from the ends of each cucumber. if using large cucumbers, cut into quarters.

to draw out excess liquid and increase crunch, toss cucumbers with salt in a large colander. add ice, and toss again. place over a bowl, and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, for 3 hours. drain. rinse well, and drain again.

once the cucumbers have drained for a few hours and you're ready to continue, combine vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

remove hot jars from canner. place 1 tsp dill seeds and 1 clove garlic into each jar; pack in cucumbers. pour boiling vinegar mixture over cucumbers to within 1/2 inch of rim (head space). process 10 minutes for pint jars and 15 minutes for quart (1 l) jars as directed for longer time processing procedure.

tip: garlic may turn blue or green in the jar. nothing to be alarmed about, it is only the effect of the acid on the natural pigments in the garlic.