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.

We give most away.

Laurie says, hot jars, hot lids, hot brine (slow boil) one jar at a time, fill jar with cukes, add hot brine, hot lid, ring. And done, do not cook.

Learn to sucker your cucumber vines and keep them off the ground. Easier picking that way.

Straight eight variety work best here.

Been watching for electric conduit or something for a trellis.
They are on the tree deer protection cages for now.
If you miss the fruits hiding on the ground. they quit producing.

Is there any food that cannot be pickled?

This is what I do.

That’s how my ma used to do it to, this will be the first year trying to do my own

Will they seal this way and store in the pantry or do they need refrigerated?

My wife does it the same way the jars will pop and seal on their own. She also picked a grape leaf and put in each jar said it kept them crispy.

They seal and will not need refrigerated. Occasionally a jar or two will not seal... those go in the fridge.