Pickles, please

[sweetonsno]

I'm going to be making this year's pickles tomorrow. I've been using the Bell's Blue Book recipe for Dill Pickles Short Method. I like it enough, but I'm not a huge fan of the cinnamon in the pre-made mixed pickling spice that I get at the store. So:

Does anyone have a great recipe for cinnamon-free pickling spice to be used with sour pickles?

Does anyone have a great recipe for sour cucumber pickles? I eat them out of hand, so I'd prefer one with wholes, halves, or spear.

[cicero]

I use a very simple recipe. I stopped making them years ago because they kept failing, and this year i started making them again and they are fine. go figure. I use supposedly organic cucumbers and either mineral water or tap water that has been boiled and cooled. I make small amounts so i don't know if this is what you are lokking for:

sterlize jars.
scrub the cucumbers and cut of the tippety tip.
put cucumbers upright in jars, add 1-2 garlic peeled cloves and hot pepper slices (or small dried hot pepper). sprinkle in a few pieces of pepper (the whole spice) in each jar.
prepare the brine of 1 flat  tsp kosher salt to each cup of water. pour over the cucumbers, let it run over. cover with dill or celery stalks/leaves or grape leaves (I've used celery this year - wondering if that's why they worked out better). can add one tablespoon of vinegar to each jar ( I don't).

cover and let them stand in the sun for 2-3 or more days. my friend says to cover loosely for a few days, then seal (I refrigerate at this point because i like them at this stage)

[Luci]

I have found the most important thing is that the cucmbers must be fresh. Even a couple of days off the vine may cause a fail.