posted by Queen Bee 11-04-101 8:13 AM
Uncle Milton's Ukrainian Dill Pickles
16 pickling cucumbers
1 tsp. pickling spice for each bottle
1 clove of garlic for each bottle chopped finely
1/8 tsp. dried sweet red bell pepper for each bottle (there should be some in the pickling spice) if not, add.
1 bay leaf for each bottle
Fresh dill stalk 6 or 8 inches crushed in the bottom of each bottle
2 tbs. coarse salt for each bottle
Cut 1/2 inch off each end of 4 to 5 inch cucumbers so you have ones 3 to 4 inches long, pierce with the knife.
Put all the spices etc. in the bottle (Do one bottle at a time because of the next step). Stand cucumbers in bottles (bottle should be as full as possible but they should not be squished together). Fill in the spaces around the cucumbers with the coarse salt Pour in boiling water and let the bubbles rise then finish filling the bottle with boiling water.
Seal them very tightly and turn them upside down so the spices etc. will dissolve and blend. Leave upside down on several layers of newspaper or paper towels and put in a cool dark place.
After 24 hours turn them over.