When we were stationed in Germany, we had a landlord that had a huge garden. My husband was there a few months before me and had told the landlord that I was a chef. When I finally got there, he came over to meet me and, somewhere in the conversation, asked if I had ever made pickles. I told him that, indeed, I had made pickles before, but only once and it had been years.

About an hour after he left, he returned with a 5-gallon bucket overflowing with freshly picked cucumbers and a huge pickling pot. He told me his wife was out of town, the cucumbers were ready for picking, and they needed to be pickled within a day or they would be mushy.

Needless to say, I was in a pickle about how I was going to make these pickles. After a quick trip to the market, I was filling 20 or so jars with ingredients and processing them. I received high marks when the landlord opened the first jar, and I have been a fan of homemade pickles ever since.

There are a few ways to make pickles, a couple of steadfast “rules” to follow and some secrets to keep pickles crunchy. Let’s start with the rules.

It’s very important to follow a recipe when making pickles, because the ratio of ingredients is key to them being safely processed. The necessary ingredients are water, vinegar and salt.

Ingredients such as dill, peppercorn, mustard seed, jalapeños, onion, red pepper flakes and sugar are added to reach desired flavors. Use fresh, whole spices and herbs whenever possible. Ground spices tend to darken and discolor pickles.

If using dried, ¼ teaspoon of dried is equal to ¾ to 1 teaspoon of fresh. Dried herbs can be wrapped in a cheese cloth, simmered in the pickling liquid and removed before the final canning process.

The rules

• Vinegar must contain at least 5% acidity, such as white vinegar. This is necessary to prevent the growth of bacteria.

• Pickling salt is the most commonly used salt. However, fine-grain Himalayan salt or fine-grain sea salt can be used. Salt draws water from the cucumbers to allow them to take in the pickling liquid and flavor.

• Never use ice cream or rock salt. Also, salt containing iodine (table salt) will cause the pickles to darken, and a salt that contains non-caking material will prevent fermentation.

• If a recipe calls for sugar, use white granulated sugar. Some recipes may use brown sugar.

• Do not use sugar substitutes. Processing will cause bitterness and does not keep pickles firm.

• When heating pickling liquids, use unchipped pots made of stainless steel, aluminum, glass or enamelware. Copper, brass and iron pots or galvanized utensils will react with the acids or salts and may cause toxic compounds to develop in the pickling mixture.

• Wash and sterilize jars in boiling water, and keep warm until ready to fill.

• Use self-sealing lids with screw bands. Do not reuse jars from commercially canned foods. They are designed specifically for special packing machines.

• Cover pickles completely with liquid.

• Before sealing filled jars for canning, remove air bubbles by sliding a spatula down and around the sides of the jar.

• Wipe the jar mouth with a clean damp cloth before adjusting the lids to ensure a tight fit.

Tips for crunchy pickles

• Use small firm cucumbers.

• Jar immediately after picking.

• If unable to pickle immediately, immerse cucumbers in ice water in the refrigerator for a few hours to keep them firm.

• Cut off a small bit of the blossom end. This is the opposite end of where it was cut from the vine. It contains enzymes that can cause pickles to become mushy.

• When canning, use a low temperature pasteurization treatment. Place jars in canner or large pot fitted with a raised rack on the bottom. Fill canner half-full of warm, 120- to 140-degree water. Add hot water to 1 inch above the top of jars. Heat to maintain 180 to 185 degrees for 30 minutes. A candy thermometer will help you to see that the temperatures are maintained above 180 degrees for the entire 30 minutes. If temperatures rise above 185 degrees, it could cause the pickles to become soft.

I only planted a few cucumber plants this year, so I have been making refrigerator pickles. They are fast and easy and do not require the canning process. Because of this, these pickles are not shelf stable. They must be stored in the refrigerator directly after the containers are filled and will keep for about two months.

Whether using cucumbers, green beans, okra or watermelon rinds, there is something fun and satisfying about preserving the harvest through pickling. Until next week, happy gardening.

Easy Refrigerator Pickles

Fills approximately one quart jar or two pint jars.

Cucumbers: whole, halved, quartered or sliced. Slices should be approximately ¼-inch thick.

Essential ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 3 tablespoons vinegar

• 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling salt

Flavoring

• 2-3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed

• 2-3 sprigs fresh dill

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorn

• 1 teaspoon mustard seed

• ¼ teaspoon (or to taste) crushed red pepper flake (optional)

Mix water, vinegar and salt until salt dissolves. Fill container (it is not required to use glass canning jars, since they are not processed in a hot water bath, but the container you use should have a tight-fitting lid). Tuck dill springs in between the cucumbers; add spices and prepared pickling liquid. Put on the lid, and pop into refrigerator.

— Irland, a member of the Limestone County Master Gardeners, can be reached at kippirland@hotmail.com. Visit https://mg.aces.edu/limestone for more information on the Limestone County Master Gardeners.