Brine: 1 qt vinegar, 3 qts water, 1 cup-salt
Boil all brine ingredients together and keep hot.
Pack cucumbers in jars.
Add to each jar:
3 garlic cloves
1 red pepper
1/2 head fresh dill
Pour brine to cover, seal jars while hot. Can be water bath processed for 20 minutes.
Jon's Commentary: If I don't feel like messing with fresh garlic cloves, I just substitute a tablespoon of minced garlic from the jars like you get at Costco. You can use a tsp of crushed red peppers instead of the whole red pepper, or substitute a sliced up jalapeno for a little more bite. I also usually cram in an extra "head" or two of dill, just because I grow it myself, have plenty to spare, and love dill-y pickles.
If you end up with extra brine, just put it in a big jar in the fridge and save it for the next batch - add to the new brine you're boiling. Or, if you, like my family, just like to make sour cucumbers by soaking them in vinegar and water overnight, perhaps with a slice or two of onion thrown in, just let the brine cool and use it for that purpose.
Also, as soon as the jars are cool to the touch, if you put them in a refrigerator and keep them chilled, you'll get much crispier pickles. The fresher the cukes, the better.
