• Soak the pickles in water and wash them very well while brushing/ rubbing them with a vegetable brush to remove all the dirt/ sand and tiny bits of dirt. Next, minimally cut off both ends. Then cut the pickling cucumbers from top lengthwise, such that the ends are still connected.
• Sprinkle with salt in the slit and let the cucumbers steep for at least 2 hours. Salt draws out water from the cucumbers.
• Meanwhile wash dill and shake off excess water. Wash the carrots, peel, and cut them into rough chunks. Then peel and cut the onions into eighths.
• Next wash and dry the hot peppers and cut them into large pieces. Now wash horseradish very well, peel it and cut into thin chunks. For the brine, simply mix the water with the sugar and vinegar.
• Pack the jars with veggies, pickling spice mix and brine into approximately eight 1-liter (about 1 quart) jars. First layer pickles in the jars, followed by a tiny dill flower heads and a roughly chopped dill stem and leaves (see photos), a piece of carrot, an eighth onion and a teaspoon of pickling spice. Repeat the process until the jars are almost fully packed, leaving a little space for pepper, horseradish, and brine. We had three layers of everything in each 1-liter (1 quart) jar .Add a slice of hot pepper and a slice or two of horseradish.
• Pour the prepared brine into the jars, until the brine covers the veggies. Dry the rims of the jars with paper towels to prevent mold and then close the jars very tightly. Since we have used preserving rubber jars, they were additionally closed with fixed clips.

How to can jars in the oven (water bath method)

• Put a baking sheet in the cold oven (on the lowest rack position). Arrange the pickling cucumber jars on the baking sheet. Don’t forget to leave enough space between the jars.
• Fill the baking sheet with cold tap water and switch on the oven and set it to 150 °C (302 °F) in a circulating air oven (or set the oven to 170 °C (338 °F) with both up and low heat, if your oven does not have circulating air option.). Let process until you see small bubbles rising in the jars. Very important, otherwise your pickles will get overcooked and become soft and less crunchy.
• When the bubbles rise in the jars, immediately turn off the oven and leave the pickled cucumbers in the turned off and still closed oven for 25 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the oven and put them on the kitchen countertop lined with a kitchen towel. Let cool to room temperature, preferably overnight. Remove the clips if you have some like us. The pickled cucumbers can be consumed immediately, though it’s advisable to let them sit for a couple of days for the flavors to meld together.
• Store the pickled cucumbers in a cool, dark place for up to one year. After around 12 months the pickles get less flavorful and soft. Once opened the jar should be stored in the fridge and used within one month.