During the summer months gardens get really productive and the yield can leave you with too much to handle. Preserving is a wonderful way to turn overabundance into a gift that keeps on giving. As a child, I had a  prolific garden and I would spend every Sunday canning produce with my grandmother. Preservation is every bit a part of gardening as growing  food. Here is a simple refrigerator pickles recipe that my grandmother and I use.

Serves 10

Ingredients

1 gallon cucumber
⅓ cup instant minced onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ talbespoon mustard seeds
6 heads fresh dill
1 ½ quarts water
2 cups cider vinegar
½ cup canning salt

2. Boil liquids and seasonings to dissolve the salt then cool. Pour over pickles and let sit on counter for three days turning them occasionally. Then refrigerate. The pickles will keep for a year.