• ½ bushel firm cucumbers
• Brine
• Dill
• Garlic (optional)
• 16 cups water
• 1 cup vinegar
• ¾ cup salt

Make brine of 1 cup of salt and 3 gallons of water. Soak cucumbers in brine over night. Drain and wipe dry. Fill quart jars with cucumbers, a sprig of dill and half bud of garlic. Boil the 16 cups of water, vinegar and salt; pour boiling hot over the cucumbers. Seal immediately.

If you can get soft well water for making brine, omit the vinegar. Vinegar helps to overcome the alkalinity of chemicals used to purify city water.