Summer Pickles in a Crock

This is an old recipe that my family used during the summer. It is so easy and when you want a pickle, you just reach in a grab one! We use small pickling cukes, about 3 to 4 inches long. Just wash the fresh cukes as you pick them, dry them and add them to the crock.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Yields: 1 gallon

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 gallon vinegar
• 1⁄2 cup pickling salt
• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup dry mustard
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 -4  grape leaves, for the top
• 2  heads dill, for the top

Directions

1. You will need a one gallon crock or glass container, with a top.
2. Mix salt, sugar, red pepper flakes and mustard and add to crock.
3. Add a little vinegar at a time until well combined, then add remaining vinegar and garlic cloves.
4. As cukes come in, wash, dry thoroughly and put in crock, cover with grape leaves and dill on top.
5. I also add a small piece of alum.
6. I start eating them 3-5 days after they are in the crock.
7. As you add the new cukes, you can tell which ones are ready, by their color.