I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 27 years, disabled daughter, college-aged son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!And it was easy. Now I have additive and preservative and coloring free organic pickles that will last me quite some time, as I am the only one who eats dill pickles in this house (although DS did express an interest in trying these ones). This isn't as frugal as it will be when I have my own home-grown cucumbers to preserve, but then it'll be downright cheap.
Aren't they pretty?
They were quite simple to make. I simply mixed 8 cups of water with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of pickling salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. This is probably the longest part of the process.
Crush 16 cloves of garlic and put 4 each into the bottom of a sterilized quart sized canning jar. Add 1 tbsp of dill seed (NOT dill weed) to each jar. Cut up your clean cucumbers and fill the jars. (I used pickling cucumbers and cut them into fourths, but you can leave them whole or cut them however you want. You can also use any cucumbers, this was just what they had that was pesticide free). I used five cucumbers per jar. Leave about an inch of head space in each jar.
Pour the water/vinegar/salt solution into each jar, leaving 3/4 inch of head space. Loosely put your sterilized lids and rings on. Set aside for 48 hours and then tighten the lids and refrigerate for up to six months.
This actually makes enough solution for 5 quart sized jars, but I didn't have enough cucumbers for that. This is the first time I made it so I'll know for next time. They already smell good so I sure hope they are as good as they smell and look. I'll know Monday at dinner time! 
And this summer when my garden produces I want to make some that are shelf stable and not just ones that will keep in the fridge, because I'll want some for when these ones run out and there isn't a good source of cheap, organic cucumbers.
I Made Pickles
June 2nd, 2012 at 05:45 am
June 2nd, 2012 at 02:53 pm 1338648833
June 2nd, 2012 at 03:15 pm 1338650124
And yes, we've used backyard cukes for it too. Plant the kind that are for pickling because little cukes that are not come out too soft and squishy after pickling.
June 2nd, 2012 at 04:08 pm 1338653306
June 2nd, 2012 at 06:52 pm 1338663127
June 2nd, 2012 at 11:29 pm 1338679788
June 3rd, 2012 at 01:39 am 1338687557
My grandma used to do the super hot pickled vegetables. Great, but you had to train your tastebuds for it.
June 3rd, 2012 at 05:17 am 1338700657