It's the end of the growing season here in PA. Time to reap the last of the garden before the frost hits. It's been about 50 degrees at night for the last few weeks, and the Farmer's Almanac says snow is coming in the next few weeks. Dammit >.< IT'S TOO SOON FOR THIS CRAP! Anyways, here's a way for me to have a summer reminder that's super easy and twice as tasty! Lasts between 4 months to about a year if processed. This is my favorite pickle recipe out of the 3 I make. Garlic Dill, Hot and Spicy, and Sweet.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Kirby or Persian cucumbers (or your garden ones)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 sprig of fresh dill, per jar (the flowered heads of the dill taste the best for these pickles, so use them if you can get them)**
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp whole peppercorns
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
**Optional: if fresh dill isn't available, use 1 tsp dill seed per jar
**Optional: fresh raw onion rings or a clean stone

Directions:
Prepare the jars: If you are planning to can your pickles for long-term storage, bring a large pot of water to a boil and sterilize the jars and their lids. If you are planning to make refrigerator pickles, simply washing the jars and lids is fine.

Prepare the cucumbers: Wash and dry the cucumbers. Trim away the blossom end of the cucumber, which contains enzymes that can lead to limp pickles. Leave the pickles whole, cut them into spears, or slice them into coins, as preferred. Personally, there's something about spears that looks more appetizing to me.

Add the spices to the jars: Divide the garlic, dill, coriander, mustard, and peppercorns into each jar.

Pack the pickles into the jars: Pack the pickles into the jars. Trim the ends if they stand more than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing the cucumbers.

Bring the pickling brine to a boil: Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a small sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil. Pour the brine over the pickles, filling each jar to within 1/2-inch of the top. You may not use all the brine.
**All the cucumbers must be submerged in the brine! If you are having trouble getting them totally submerged, you may need to add a “weight” to the jar to keep them submerged. I like to add a big chunk of onion. Not only does the onion give great flavor, but it does a good job of keeping the cucumbers under the water. You may also add a clean rock if you don’t want to use an onion.**

Remove air bubbles: Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more pickling brine if necessary.

Tighten the lids: Place the lids over the jars and screw on the rings until tight.

Processing:
For longer storage: Place the jars in a boiling pot of water. When the water comes back to a boil, set the timer for 5 minutes and remove the jars immediately. Make sure the lids pop down; if they do not, refrigerate those pickles and eat them first.

Cool and refrigerate: Let the jars cool to room temperature. If you processed the jars, they can be stored on the shelf. If unprocessed, store the pickles in the fridge. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age!! Try to wait at least 48-72 hours before cracking them open. Canned pickles will keep for at least a year on the shelf and for several weeks in the refrigerator once opened; refrigerator pickles will keep for several weeks.

Also note - If you choose to cool and refrigerate - If you start to see a white film or mold on top in the first 24 hours, just skim it off. It is harmless (just yeast!), but it will impact the taste of the pickles, so you want to skim it off as soon as you see it.