I'm growing a lot of cucumbers this year with the intention of making a fair amount of pickles. I've had my fair share of mushy pickles, looking to avoid that at all costs.

I'd like to do some refrigerator (fermented) pickles, but I'd like to can some too. Tips I've come across so far:

Don't use cucumbers longer than 6"
Use an ice water bath for 1-2 hours before canning
Cut off the blossom end before canning
Using alum when canning

What other tips, tricks, and methods does this group have?

Side note, this is dill pickles only. Sweet pickles should be outlawed and banished...

Lots of fresh dill, peppercorns, mustard seed, fresh garlic Hot water bath pints for 10 minutes, 15 for quarts.

Add a few diced spicy peppers if you want a little more kick.

Hey Thrsty! Oddly enough a semi truck hauling pickles turned over and spilled everywhere here. Running joke is good thing he wasn’t hauling beans.

Don’t let them sit . Pick ‘em and get ‘em in the jars. Scrub or cut off the ends unless you like Little Rock’s in your teeth.

Guess I won't share my Bread & Butter refrigerator pickle recipe here..lol

Make sure to plant only "Pickle Cuke" seed, salad cukes don't do too well when pickled.
I always planted my cukes in hanging baskets, keeps the slugs off.

We built trellis for the cukes to climb. Less bending over to pick. We're at about 200 pints.

200 pints is 4 pints per week! Y'all sure love pickles.