Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs Kirby cucumbers
  • 12 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 6 fresh jalapeños, sliced into rings
  • 1 large bunch fresh dill
  • 3 cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • 3 tbsp pickling salt
  • 1 tbsp cane sugar
  • 4 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 4 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp calcium chloride

Instructions:

  1. Wash the 3 lbs of Kirby cucumbers in ice cold water. Note: This firms up the flesh before they hit the hot brine.
  2. Slice off 1/8th of an inch from the blossom end of each cucumber until you see the pale green flesh. Note: The blossom end contains enzymes that can soften the pickle.
  3. Place your clean jars in boiling water for 10 minutes until they are hot to the touch.
  4. Drop 3 smashed garlic cloves, 1.5 sliced jalapeños, and a generous sprig of dill into the bottom of each hot jar.
  5. Pack the cucumbers vertically in the jars, wedging them in tightly until they don't move when shaken.
  6. Combine 3 cups vinegar, 3 cups water, 3 tbsp salt, and 1 tbsp sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  7. Distribute the mustard seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and calcium chloride evenly across the 4 jars.
  8. Ladle the hot brine over the cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top until the tops of the pickles are fully submerged.
  9. Run a thin spatula or plastic knife down the sides of the jars until no more bubbles rise to the surface.
  10. Wipe the rims, apply lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes until the lids ping and seal as they cool.