Pick a peck of pickles, prepare, then be patient.

That’s the key to this crunchy recipe by Karen Seeliger.

“It’s a recipe I’ve been making for 30 years,” she said. “My family loves them.”

She is picky about the cucumbers’ origins.

“I always get my pickles at a farmers market,” Seeliger said, adding that she also picks up the dill there, too.

There are only three ingredients: pickles, dill and garlic.

“So many recipes (for pickles) have sugar in them. It’s not necessary,” Seeliger said.

The whole cooking process takes a couple of hours.

Next, get the brine boiling on the stove. The lids and bands also need to be boiled.

After it’s assembled, it’s time to wait.

“You have to let them sit for a month,” she said. “It’s time consuming, but everybody loves my pickles.”

A peck is 12 jars, Seeliger said. Two pecks would be a half of a bushel.

“I would start out by just doing a peck, to make sure you get it,” she said.

She and daughter Keri have been working for Danberry Realtors since January. Seeliger retired in 2014 from Fifth Third Bank, where she had worked 34 years, then became a Realtor. She and daughter, Keri, share an office at Danberry at Levis Commons in Perrysburg.

“I do love it,” she said. “I enjoy helping people. When you find someone the house that they are so excited about, it’s rewarding.”

Karen and Scott Seeliger have two daughters, who also live in Bowling Green.

Daughter Kori and Kevin Atwood have two children, Kloe and Kolin, who attend Bowling Green State University. Daughter Keri and Tony Buff have three children, Scotty, Max and Mia, who are phenomenal swimmers; Scotty is the top high school recruit in the country.

The proud grandparents attend meets to cheer on the kids, and also volleyball and water polo matches.

Seeliger said that Kolin is a huge fan of Pickle Rollups, with her pickles, cream cheese and dried beef. For his birthday, she made a cake out of them, topped with candles.

To make those, pat the pickle dry, smooth cream cheese around the pickle, and then roll it up in dried beef. Wrap each one in plastic wrap, then slice them for serving.

Seeliger is also a member of the University Women Garden Club, the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club and PEO, which raises money for women’s scholarships.

The Seeligers have a stunning home and gardens, which were featured in a past Sentinel article. Seeliger, who is a Wisconsin native, also did another cook’s corner that showcased her grandmother’s German Potato Salad and Parisian Cake.

Like the potato salad and cake, the dill pickle recipe has a Wisconsin tie. Seeliger got it from a co-worker.

She has also used the bones of the recipe with green beans and asparagus, and for her Bloody Mary cocktails.

Her mother taught her how to can.

“None of my friends can,” said Seeliger, who also knits. “I don’t sit down much. I don’t watch TV. … I’m pretty much on the go with my puppies and my yard, which is never ending.”

Her garden is not only beautiful, it’s productive. There are cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and herbs. She also grows grapes on the side of the garage.

The outside area has a huge, free-standing fireplace. When the couple entertain, they throw meats on the outdoor griddle or grill, serving the entree with the potato salad or baked beans. This time of year, there will probably be a peck of pickles, too.

“I thought this would be a good time (to share this) because this is pickling season,” Seeliger said.