Wash 7 quart jars thoroughly, then rinse and fill with hot water and set aside. Fill your canning kettle half-full with hot water and set on the burner over high heat. Place lids and rings in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer.
In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil, then turn off the heat and set aside.
Prep your vegetables by washing your cucumbers, unwrapping the garlic, and rinsing the dill under cold water and cutting off all but the first few inches of stems. When washing the cucumbers, sort them into piles by size. This really helps make your jars look nicer and makes for easier packing.
Place a layer of dill at the bottom of each jar, along with one garlic clove (garlic is optional), then tightly load the cucumbers into the jar all the way to the neck of the jar (depending on size you may get two nice layers with a few small cucumbers in the top). Add a few tiny sprigs of dill at the top, too, and another garlic clove if desired.
Once jars are loaded, pour in the brine leaving half-inch head space in each jar. Add lid and ring to each jar, tightening evenly to just finger tight. Place jars in the canner with water just to the necks of the jars.
Bring water almost to a boil (about 15 minutes) then remove jars, set on a dish towel on the counter, cover with another towel and let cool.
Check for seal (indented lid) after a few hours. If it's not sealed you may be able to replace the lid and band with a new, clean lid and attempt to reseal with the canner.
