Kosher-Style Dill Pickle Spears

Ingredients:

10 pounds cucumbers
1/4 cup mixed pickling spices
2-3 bunches fresh or dried dill
1 1/2 cups canning salt
2 cups vinegar
2 gallons water
6 cloves garlic (optional)
Bay leaves
6-8 cloves of garlic
6-8 hot, red peppers
Mustard seed

Preparation Steps:

I basically had two sized of cucumbers and for these pickles.  I used the larger ones.  I decided to quarter them, slicing them into spears.

• Wash and drain the cucumbers.  Quarter them, slicing them into spears
• Place half of pickling spices and a layer of dill into the bottom of a clean pickling container.  (I used a clean five-gallon bucket.)

• Add cucumbers to within top of pickling container.
• Combine, salt, vinegar, and water; ladle over cucumbers.
• Place a layer of dill and remaining pickling spices over the top. 
• Add garlic, if desired.
• Weight cucumbers under the brine.

• Store container in a cool place.
• Let cucumbers ferment until well flavored with dill and clear throughout.  Pickles should be ready to can in about two to three weeks.

• Remove pickles from brine and rinse.

• Strain the brine; bring to a boil in a large saucepot.

• Pack pickles into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
• Add one bay leaf, one clove garlic, one piece hot red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed to each jar.

• Get out your new plastic, collapsible funnel that you got on clearance at the grocery store and place it in one of the jars.  Ladle the hot brine into each jar leaving 1/4-inch headspace.

• Adjust two-piece caps.  (I'm not pleased that the brine in these jars is a little milky looking.  Wonder if that is how it is supposed to look?) 

• Process fifteen minutes in a boiling water canner.

• Allow to ferment in jars for two to three weeks.
• Hope they turn out to be tasty!