In a Pickle

I just tried making my first set of pickles, and in a few days I will see how things went. The lids popped down nicely, and things look okay (except I did not pack the beans in tight enough-lesson learned. Cram those veggies in!). I made the simplest recipe possible for pickling cucumbers and green beans:

Easy spicy pickles
2 1/2 Cups Vinegar
2 1/2 Cups Water
1/4 cup salt
Garlic Cloves
Chopped Peppers

Boil vinegar, water & salt. Clean veggies to be pickled and cut them as you want them to be pickled. Put at least one clove of garlic and chopped peppers into bottom of sterilized jars, then TIGHTLY put your veggies in. Pour vinegar, water and salt boil into jars, put on cleaned tops and rings, and process for 10-12 minutes in a boiling water bath (with at least 1/2 inch above the tops of the jars). Remove from bath after time so as not to overcook veggies, and wait for the lids to pop down. If they do not pop, refrigerate and eat in a few days (sorry, but they are not safe to put in the pantry if they do not pop, and do not re-boil, or they will be overcooked)!

I am going to give them a few days and try them, and if they taste okay, I will branch out to more complicated recipes! Thinking of bread and butter pickles (you know I love the sweet-stuff), and some pickled cauliflower...