Home Canning 101: Crisp Pickle Slices

Instructions:

1. Wash all cucumbers well with a vegetable brush to remove excess dirt from the skin. Dry and slice cucumbers to the desired thickness you prefer in a pickle slice. Place in large mixing bowl.
2. Peel 6 - 7 medium onions and slice until you have the 6 C. needed. Slice 2 C. of green pepper. Add garlic cloves and salt to taste. Add the above ingredients to the sliced cucumbers and cover with cracked ice. Let sit for 3 hours.
3. Meanwhile, mix vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric and celery seed in another bowl. Stir gently until the sugar has been mixed well in to the solution.
4. After 3 hours, drain the vegetable mixture well. Pour the vinegar - spice mixture over the vegetable mixture. Bring the batch to a boil.
5. Pack the mixture into Ball Pint Canning Jars. Remove air bubbles. Adjust lids.
6. Process immediately using the boiling water method. Using the jar lifter, place filled jars onto rack immediately after each jar is filled. After all filled jars are placed on the racks, carefully lower it into the water. The water level must cover the jars and caps by 1 to 2 inches. Add more boiling water if necessary. Process for 10 minutes.
7. After the processing period is complete, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Using the jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a towel to cool. Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between the jars. DO NOT invert the jars, cover them with a cloth or try to cool them quickly.
8. Voila! In 24 short hours, your work will have yielded 7 - 9 pints of crisp and delicious pickle slices you can enjoy all year!