Foryoueats: Milwaukee Dill Refrigerator Pickles Recipe

Ingredients

• For the Cold-Water Soak:
• About 25 small "number one" cucumbers (about 2 pounds/1kg; see note)
• 1 cup pickling or other pure salt (about 8 3/4 ounces/250g; see note)
• For the Pickling Spice Mix and Brine:
• 4 tablespoons whole mustard seed, divided
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice
• 1 tablespoon whole juniper berries
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 small (2-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1 whole star anise, broken into pieces (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar at 5% acidity (355ml)
• 2 tablespoons pickling or other pure salt (about 1 ounce/30g; see note)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion (from about 1/4 medium onion)
• 4 medium cloves garlic
• 2 large tufts dill weed, flowers removed and reserved, or baby dill (see note)