Best-Ever Dill Pickles

Best Ever Dill Pickles If you purchase cucumbers for pickling, be sure they have not been coated in wax, which impedes the pickling process. Also, if pickling cucumbers are not available, cut regular garden cucumbers into 4-inch spears.
Prep: 30 minutes Process: 10 minutes
Stand: 1 week
3 to 3 1/4 pounds 4-inch pickling cucumbers (about 36 small)
4 cups water
4 cups white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup pickling salt
6 tablespoons dill seeds

1. Thorougly scrub cucumbers with a soft vegetable brush in plenty of cool running water. Remove the stems and blossoms, and slice off the blossom ends. Slice cucumbers into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices.
2. In a 4- to 5-quart stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick heavy pot, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and pickling salt. Bring mixture to boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. Pack cucumber slices loosely into six hot, sterelized PINT canning jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Add 1 tablespoon of the dill seeds to each jar. Pour hot vinegar over cucumbers, maintaining the 1/2-inch headspace. Discard any remaining vinegar mixture. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids.
4. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks. Allow to stand at room temperature for 1 week before serving.

Makes 6 pints. Per 1/4 cup: 25 cal., 0g fat (0g sat. fat), 0mg chol., 859 mg sodium, 5g carb., 0g fiber, 0g pro.