pickles

LOW-SODIUM DILL PICKLES

Now this is one of my recipes so it's easy to follow(G)

1. As many cucumbers as you want. Little ones if you like small pickles. Big ones if you like sliced pickles.

2. 1 small onion for each jar

3. slice the cucumbers and onions into slices 1/16 to 1/8 inch slices and put the slices or small cucumbers into the jars to see how many jars you need. Don't pack them tight.

4. You can use other stuff too like cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts.

For each jar use:
1 head garlic grated fine
4 heads or more of fresh dill (or 2 Tbsp. ground dill seed)
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 jalapeno pepper grated fine
1 Tbsp. whole pickling spice
2 tsp. whole mustard seed
2 tsp sage
For each jar of pickles use 1/2 jar of white vinegar
Mix all the ingredients and put in a big pan and boil for five minutes
Pour the liquid into the jars, making certain that each jar has about equal amounts of the solid junk from the pan. Make sure the liquid is equal in each jar. Top the jars off to within 1/ 2 inch with vinegar.
If you are doing a lot of pickles do the canning route below. Put on the lids and rings.
Process quarts in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes; pints for 10 minutes. At elevations above 1000 feet, add 5 minutes to processing time.
Remove jars. Cool 12 to 24 hours. Check for airtight seals. Remove bands, label, and store.

If you are just doing two or three jars put them in the microwave WITHOUT LIDS and heat them. Nine minutes at 40% for each jar should be enough. But watch them so they don't boil over. You want them to get hot enough to drive the juices into the cucumbers. Take them out and set the lids on and let them cool. Then tighten the lids and refrigerate.
These are really good.. And the juice makes a good marinade for fish.

The sodium content of this stuff figures out to around 80 mg per quart.