2 tablespoon mixed pickling spices
3 cups white distilled vinegar
3 cups water (bottled water recommended)
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons pickling or coarse (kosher) salt
10 (4-inch-long) pickling cucumbers
4 fresh or dried dill seed heads
4 cloves garlic
4 small dried red chili peppers

In small piece of double-thick cheesecloth, tie pickling spices to form a small bag. In stainless-steel 3-quart saucepan, heat spice bag, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer vinegar mixture, or brine, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare 2 wide-mouth 1-quart canning jars and caps for processing. Halve cucumbers lengthwise. Pack lightly into hot jars; place 2 dill seed heads, 2 cloves garlic, and 2 red peppers into each jar.

Discard spice bag

Place jars on rack in 12-quart canner filled with boiling water (water should cover top of jars by an inch); cover canner and process jars 15 minutes. Cool jars; label and store in cool, dark place at least 2 months before serving. Store opened jar of pickles in the refrigerator.