1 heaping Tbs. kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1 heaping tsp. black peppercorns
2 peeled cloves of garlic
1 Tbs. white cider vinegar
6 sprigs of fresh dill
small cucumbers
cold water

Into the bottom of several quart jars place the salt, peppercorns, garlic, vinegar and three sprigs fresh dill. Fill the jars with small cucumbers. You may want to slice the cucumbers in half in order to have them fit better in the jar. Place three more sprigs of fresh dill on top of the vegetables to prevent them from floating.

Fill jars with cold water right to the brims, put on screw caps and invert jars enough to dissolve the salt. Slightly loosen caps to allow the escape of fermentation gases and brine to leak out. Put jars in a cool dark place, with plenty of newspaper underneath to soak up any overflowing brine.

Leave the pickles for about two weeks. Check them for maturation. At this point, they would be considered half-sour or young, and are ready to eat. For a more intense flavor, let them ferment longer, up to one year. Top off the jars with more brine (1 Tbs. salt per 12 ounces of water). Wipe off the rims and recap the jars tightly. Can or refrigerate the pickles to stop the fermentation process.
(Rebecca Ets-Hokin)