As far as I’m concerned, it’s never too early in the season to put up pickles! I wish I could remember where this recipe came from, but it’s full of good instructions about proper canning. If you don’t want to do the sterilizing and boiling bath canning, then make the pickles and refrigerate them as soon as the brine cools. Consider them refrigerator pickles and eat them in a week or two.
To sterilize canning jars, submerge them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes and until they are ready to be filled. Use new lids, and sterilize them according to manufacturer’s instructions.