Easy Small Batch Dill Pickles

When you have a little pickle craving...
This recipe makes just 1 pint and 2 quart jars.

2 lbs small pickling cucumbers
8 cups water
1/4 cup (+ 2 tbsps pickling salt)
1/4 cup and 1/8 cup vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups water
2 tsps pickling spice 
1/2 tsp mustard seed (per jar)
1/2 tsp dill seed (per jar)

Day one - wash and trim off stems and blossom ends of cucumbers.  Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 8 cups water.  Submerge cucumbers in salt water for 12 hours. I used a shallow bowl that fit inside my large bowl to hold the cucs down in the water.

Day two - after 12 hours drain but do not rinse the cucumbers.

Using a coffee filter or small piece of cheesecloth, tie up the pickling spice. Mix 2 tbsps salt, vinegar, sugar, 2 cups water and the pickling spice pack and heat to boiling. 

Fill sterilized jars with cucs, fitting in as many as you can, and add the mustard seed and dill to each jar.

Fill jars with the hot brine leaving a 1/4 - 1/2" head space. You may find that you'll need to make more vinegar mix if your jars aren't tightly packed with cucs. Place the lids on top, just finger tight.

Bring a large half-filled pot of water to boil, then add the jars. Top off with boiled kettle water to cover the tops of the jars. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.  

Then carefully remove from water and cool on the counter. Make sure lids have sealed.

If you choose not to process the jars then just keep them in the fridge. They do lose a little crunchiness when processed.