Traditional Dill Pickles

Ingredients: Freshly picked pickling cucumbers, all roughly the same size.  (Don't put big and small cukes in the same jar)
    2-3 heads of garlic, with cloves & separated, the roots trimmed, and peeled (smack-peeling is fine)
    2-3 dill heads (or 4-5 medium sprigs)
Suggested Spice Blend:  (Dill pickles with only garlic and dill are delightful; spices totally optional)
        5 tsp. coriander seeds
        1 tsp. whole cloves
        1 tsp. mustard seed
        1" of cinnamon stick
        1 tsp. allspice berries
        1 tsp. peppercorns
        1 tsp. fennel seeds
        1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat, or more, to taste)
        1 bay leaf
        OR
        3 TBS Frontier's Organic Original Spicy Pickling Spice
To promote crunchy pickles:
        2 grape leaves, OR 
        4-5 Raspberry, cherry, or blackberry leaves, OR
        2-3 white oak leaves (identifying a white oak tree)
Jar: 5 Liter Jar
 (For smaller jar, mix dry whole spices as listed above, then use appropriate portion of spices)
Brine: 3.5% Brine
 for half-sour, or 5% Brine for full sour pickles
Ferment: 7-12 days (Skinny pickles take less time, and large pickles take longer.  Also affected by temperature range.)
Temperature: 68-72ºF Ideal Range

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