"The classic Polish dill pickle, whose preparation goes back well over 1,000 years, is naturally cured and is a healthier alternative than any of the pickles pickled with vinegar. They are also easy to prepare.
Wash and drain roughly 4 lb of 4-inch, green pickling cucumbers. Cukes larger than 6 inches are not used. If you have cucumbers of varying size, put the large ones at bottom of the jar, since they take longer tocure. The best cucumbers to brine-cure are those picked the same day. If yours are not, soak them in ice cold water 2-3 hrs. Wash, dry, scald with boiling water, and dry again large glass jar or crock big enough to accommodate the pickles. At bottom of container, place 3 stalks mature pickling dill (heads or seed clusters as well as stems). Stand cucumbers in container upright. Add 3-5 cloves garlic, several small pieces of horseradish root, and several fruit leaves (cherry,black-currant or grape are best!). I also like to add a hot pepper, chopped green bell pepper and a stalk of celary. A regular pickling spice blend is optional.
Bring to boil 6 c. water and 3 T. pickling salt. When cooled slightly, pour warm solution over cucumbers. Cover with inverted plate and weight down so cucumbers are submerged. Cover with cheesecloth and
that's all there is to it.
They should be fully cured in 7-10 days. You may leave them on counter until all are used up or transfer to fridge.
Optional: Other flavorings may include: 1 horseradish leaf, 1-2 green
oak leaves (this gives pickles a barrel-like taste), 1 bay leaf, a
pinch of mustard seeds or unground coriander, a small piece of chili
pepper, a slice of celeriac or parsley root. Do not use all these
flavorings in a single batch of pickles, but experiment on successive
batches to see which combination suits you best.