Dill Infused Vinegar Pickles

Who else is drowning in cucumbers? I've been experimenting with different ways to preserve them, and recently, my kids and I decided to try our hand at making garden pickles. The sun-kissed cucumbers were plucked from the vine by little hands, while I infused dill and white distilled vinegar in the warmth of the sun. In just a matter of days, the infused vinegar was ready, and two days later, our pickles were ready to be devoured. The taste of summer, captured in a jar.

Here’s what you do for the dill infused vinegar:

1/4 cup fresh, clean garden dill, chopped

1/4 teaspoon dill seed

1 cup white vinegar

Add herb and dill seed to a jar and fill with vinegar. Secure with a lid. Let it steep in the sun for a couple of days, or for two weeks indoors. Stain and use.

To make your pickles:

INGREDIENTS

6 pickling cucumbers

2 cups water

1 cup dill-infused vinegar

1 tablespoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

big bunch of dill

4 cloves of smashed garlic

5 peppercorn kernals

DIRECTIONS

Slice cucumbers into ¼ inch slices or spears. Set aside.

To make brine, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and swirl to make sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add cucumbers to pint size jars. Do not pack them super tight. Add the fresh dill, smashed garlic, and peppercorns to the jars. Finish by adding enough brine to cover the cucumbers. Seal with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. Pickles should be good for at least two weeks after that.