First you'd have to determine the pH of the peppers vs. cukes. Don't know if there is enough acid in the mix to compensate for the differences or how much extra you'd need to add. The mixes are sold as tested and safe for the directions on the package, not for use with other foods. I also don't know if the Ball mixes contain citric acid like the Mrs. Wages mixes do. One could speculate that it would be ok because the peppers have less water in them than cukes do but that doesn't compensate for the different density of cukes vs. peppers and peppers are much more dense. So speculating is just that - speculation. You begin to see the problems? It is your choice. Dave

Kay, It's the Ball Complete Book (2006), p. 292. Here's the recipe: 8 1/4 cups sliced trimmed pickling cukes 2 cups white vinegar 2 cups water 6 tbsp canning salt 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tbsp pickling spice 7 1/2 tsp dill seeds 5 tsp mustard seeds 1 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns 5 cloves garlic, halved Set aside cucumber slices in large nonreactive bowl. In medium saucepan, combine vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and pickling spice. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 10 mins. Pour pickling liquid over cucumbers, cover with waxed paper and let cool to room temp, about 30 mins. In each jar, place 1 1/2 tsp dill seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp peppercorns, and two garlic clove halves. Add cucumber slices to within a generous 1/2 inch head space of top of jar. Ladle pickling liquid into jar to cover cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Apply lids. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for 2 weeks for best results, and use within 2 months. I used fresh dill heads from my garden instead of the dill seeds, so that may account for the salty overload - maybe the flavors were unbalanced as in ksrogers' comment above? I'm going to put up another batch tomorrow, but this time cut down on the salt and taste before adding to the cukes.

I never seem to have any fresh dill when I need it, so the mix seems like a good substitute. I'm trying to make refrigerator pickles. I have a small city garden and only have enough cucumbers for maybe a quart or so, and the package says it makes about 4 quarts. Would it be ok to save the extra brine in the fridge and use it when I have enough for another quart? If so, will I need to heat up the brine again? TIA.

The nice thing about the commercial mixes they are cheap, easy and tasty. You need to know how to but crisp in pickles. If you grow your own it's hard , if your like me you want to do 28 quarts at a time, that means 30 lbs of cucumbers. I go to the farmers market early buy the cukes I want take them home but them in ice water them the frig over night. I have my jars ready, and fresh dill weed, just for looks, Mrs Wages polish are a family favorite, as well as a simple recipe of dill weed, garlic , vinegar, salt, and water. An other recipe add red pepper flakes. You know how to pack the cukes add the mix. The next step is important. But the filled jars in the canner, bring the water to a boil remove the jars. Crisp pickles, wait a month before eating. Then with all canned food if its dis colored, looks funny, smells funny, don't taste it , discard it! Wrs wages makes a great bread & butter mix zesty. Ball also makes a great bread& butter mix.