Wash jars in the dishwasher and then preheat the oven to 200°. Place the jars on a cookie sheet and heat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. While jars are heating in the oven put the lids and rings in a small saucepan, cover them with water and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and leave lids and rings in water until you want to use them.

Wash the cucumbers and then trim the tops and bottoms, cut into spears or chips.

Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stirring to make sure that the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool down while you are preparing pint jars.

Put a large chunk of dill in the bottom of the jar, then a garlic clove, ½ tsp of mustard seeds, and ½ tsp of black peppercorns. If you're using quart jars double the ingredients.

Cover the cucumbers with the brine mixture, leaving ½ inch head space.

Put a lid and canner ring on the jars.

At this point, you can put your pickle jars into the refrigerator and let them sit for at least 24 hours. They will only get tastier the longer they sit. The best flavor is about 5-6 days. The pickles will be good for 4-6 weeks in the refrigerator.

Fill the water canner ¾ full with water, and add ¼ cup vinegar to the water to help prevent lime film. Bring the water to a rolling boil.

Load the jars into the canner basket. Carefully lower the canner basket into the boiling water. I use high-heat plastic gloves to protect my hands.

The jars need to be completely covered if they aren't add more water and bring it back to a boil then let boil for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes carefully lift the basket out of the canner with the heat gloves and place it on a wooden cutting board. If you're using quart jars, process for 15 minutes.

Once the jars have cooled and the lid has been sealed. (I let them sit overnight to insure a seal) If the top rises up and down with a slight push, it hasn't sealed You can change the lid and reprocess.

I take the rings off, wash the jars, and store them in a cool to room temperature, dry place (my pantry) after 24 hours on the counter.