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My best pickle recipe is my dills. Its pretty simple but I must tell you, I was given the recipe 35 years ago by one of my Grama’s friends, a Mrs. Conrad. Grama had a beauty shop she opened in 1943. Her customers were all her age and older. Many of the little old ladies didn’t have much money and Grama worked and bartered for their fresh garden goods. Grama didn’t like to garden but she loved to cook. The most special thing to me was Mrs. Conrad’s pickles. I could eat the whole quart of pickles in one sitting. When I bought my first home, a farmhouse in the country on an acre, Mrs. Conrad gifted me with an afghan and her awesome pickle recipe. And it’s so simple I expect half the world uses it but still remains one of my favorite gifts. (and I still have the afghan)

Mrs. Conrad’s Pickles

Her instructions will make 14-16 qts depending on how tight you get your cukes packed. The recipe is easy to half, excess brine keeps well so when I don’t have enough cukes I refrigerate the brine for my next bunch of cukes
3 Qts. Water
1 Qt Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Pickling Salt
16 sprigs of Dill gone to seed (when I’m out of fresh grown dill I use 1 Tbsp dill seed per jar)
16 cloves fresh garlic
16 hot peppers
Washed and dried cukes

Sterilize jars and lids.
Bring vinegar, water and salt to a boil.
While waiting for liquid to boil, fill jars with 1 large sprig of dill seed (or a tablespoon of seed), one clove garlic and one pepper, then pack the washed and dried cukes in the jar very tightly leaving 1” headspace.
Pour in the boiling vinegar salt water covering cukes completely.
Place hot lids on jars and water bath 5 minutes.

Let cool on a towel and store in a dark place for 6 weeks before opening.

I’ve had people tell me pickles don’t need a water bath and I’ve had others tell me 5 minutes was too short. I just do it like Mrs. Conrad said.

God bless her, Mrs. Conrad passed away 2-3 years later in 85-86. My Grama passed away in 03 and in 07 my husband and I moved into Grama’s old house for 2 years. People in that town still remembered Josie Conrad making the best pickles and lamented that she never gave anyone her recipe! ROFL. I have shared.

Tricksy thing I can’t prove. My pickles are great using her recipe but she swore that one must plant ASHLEY cukes (which I can’t find here) all mixed in with the dill and surrounded by the garlic. She said the cukes and dill growing together with the garlic right there gave them all extra flavor. Mrs. Conrad did not grow her peppers, traded for them. I dunno. I did it that way when I had the garden space but I don’t have the space now. I still can’t keep pickles from my kids and grandkids once they’re “done.”

I don’t have a “special” bread and butter recipe but I do have a couple I’ve used if nobody comes up with a special one. Hubby’s calling me to get to work and I do want my keyhole gardens. I’ll check back in a bit if u still need one.