I didn’t do the pickling, I just took the picture.  I was around while the pickling was taking place and it was quite the experience.  The house was filled with Acetic Acid and dill fumes.  Giant pots of water were continuously boiling on the stove and there were cukes everywhere.  I have respect for people who can/do practice the lost art of food preservation.  In bygone eras, this was the only reliable way to have vegetables in the middle of winter.  Of course, we don’t really need to do any of this.  We can get fresh (well as fresh as they can be) vegetables brought to us from around the world.  We can buy ready made jars of pickles.  Is all the trouble and effort really worth it?  I don’t know…. I don’t think I’ll be pickling and preserving anytime soon, but it might be something worth while knowing if we ever reach teotwawki.