3 Hour Dill Pickles

I love a good crisp pickle.  True and tasty pickles are hard to acquire and I'm often feeling left underwhelmed when I purchase store-brand pickles.  After looking up the basics of pickling (since I'm brand new to it) and perusing a ton of recipes, I decided to just wing it and go with my gut.  Obviously, this method doesn't always turn out good recipes but what I came up with today yielded some delicious and crispy pickles.  Not to mention how easy they were to put together.  These are seriously perfect for satisfying the your savory-salty-snack craving!

The Ingredients:

1 lb. Organic Persian Cucumbers, quartered*** see note at bottom of recipe
16 Black Peppercorns
4 Bay Leaves
1/2 Teaspoon Dill Seed
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seed or 1 Teaspoon Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Celery Salt
2 Teaspoons Dried Dill Weed
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic, crushed (1-2 cloves)
2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Organic, Raw and Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (I love Bragg's)
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

The Steps:

1) Wash thoroughly the jar or jars you will be using with very hot and soapy water (or in the dishwasher), dry and set aside.  I reused a marinara-26 oz jar to hold all nearly all of my pickles.  There were a few wedges I left out that I probably could have crammed in but I wanted to make sure the liquid could freely move around.    

2) Cut your cucumbers and set aside.

3) Add in the peppercorns, bay leaves, dill and mustard seeds, celery salt, dill weed, and garlic to the jar.  Then stack in your cucumber wedges.  If using more than one jar, divide up the herbs and spices equally.

4) In a small stock pot, add in the kosher salt, water and cider vinegar and bring to a boil.  Allow liquid to boil for several minutes or until the salt has dissolved.  Add boiling liquid directly to the jar(s). Put the lid on and shake to get the herbs and spices all mixed around.

5) Leave the jar on the counter until it has cooled to room temperature, then place in the fridge.  I was  planning on waiting 24 hrs to try my first pickle, but I was a bit anxious to do a taste test.  So...after 3 hours of chilling in the fridge, I had my first crunchy bite.  I was surprised how flavorful they already were, which is why I am calling these the 3 Hr Pickle.  But I can only imagine how much more the flavors will have a chance to meld together after chilling longer.  Excited for tomorrow!  

***NOTE: I would recommend using Persian cucumbers because they have few seeds and their skin is thinner than regular cucumbers.  English cucumbers (typically longer ones wrapped in plastic) would work well too as they are similar to the Persian ones in regards to seeds and skin.  The difference is that Persian ones are much smaller in length, which I found makes them easier to place in a jar.  You would have to cut the English cucumbers in halves or thirds crosswise to fit them in the jars.