Kosher-Style Dill Pickles
Ingredients
Instructions
Wash the cucumbers in cold water. In a large pot, make a brine from the vinegar, 3 cups of water, and salt and bring to a boil. In the bottom of a sterilized quart jar, place a generous layer of dill (seed heads, leaves, and stems are all suitable), ½ to 1 clove of garlic, and ½ tablespoon mustard seed. Pack the cucumbers vertically into the jar until it is about half full, then add more dill and fill the remainder of the jar with cucumbers. Repeat, using all of the cucumbers and jars. Fill the jars to within ½-inch of the top with the boiling brine. Seal and process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes; start counting the processing time when the water starts to boil. Note: Pickles may shrivel after the processing but will later plump in the sealed jars.
Yield:
Preparation Method
Category
Course
FREE BEGINNERS GARDEN GUIDE!
+ a 4-season guide to raising chickens!
You will also be subscribed to our Almanac Companion Newsletter
Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
How long do you have to wait
How long do you have to wait before you can eat them?
You should let the pickles
You should let the pickles sit for at least a week, maybe two; they need time to ferment.
This is the recipe I used and
This is the recipe I used and they are Faaaabbbbuuuuulous!!! When my brother and sister come for a visit, they can put back an entire quart jar. They aren't shy about it!
For crisp pickles, three things to note (and they all matter):
1. Be absolutely CERTAIN to pick and put up the same day for this recipe. (If you use a farm stand, be sure you know the owners/managers and can rely on them to tell you when the cukes are fresh picked that morning. Don't wait 'til the heat of the day. If cucumbers sit around, the quality and crispness deteriorate. The cukes will be okay for relish or B&Bs, but not for dills if they sit around.
2. Filter your water or use distilled. My city tap water wrecks pickles. When I filter the water, they turn out great.
3. I find that where I live, at sea level basically, I have to do a Simmering Water Bath rather than BWB. Some people will put in alum. I find that or the grape leaves unnecessary when I do the SWB method.
Here's hoping for a bumper crop of cucumbers this year.
I make a lot of pickles and I
I make a lot of pickles and I also cut the bloom end off about 1/2 inch back from the the tip. When washing them I don't soak them in water, just wipe them off well with a damp sponge or cloth. This cleans them off
sufficiently and they'll absorb more brine if not soaked in water.
I always place in the bottom of the jar with the dill, garlic clove, & mustard seed a Horseradish leaf or grape vine leaf which is said to help kill any of that enzyme that causes the cukes to go soft. I also dice a white onion and put a 1/4 Cup of them in the pint jar with the cukes that have been cut in half down the middle.
I use an equal amount of white sugar with the salt in my brine. When I fill the jars with the slightly cooled brine the lids go on tight. When I hear them seal with a "plink" I shake the jars well and set them in the fridge for a week before eating them. Mine are always crisp and crunchy and those who try them say they wish I'd go into the pickle making business.
Most pickles need to set 2
Most pickles need to set 2 weeks after they are made.
Yes, it could be due to the
Yes, it could be due to the blossom end not being cut off. Another tip:
Put the cukes into a wide bowl and spread a layer of pickling salt on top. Cover and let sit overnight in a cool place. Discard the liquid, then rinse and dry the vegetables before pickling or canning as usual. The salt helps to pull the moisture out of the vegetables and makes them crisper.
Maybe because under the tips
Maybe because under the tips on the page (link below) it says to cut off the blossom end of the cucumber because it contains an enzyme that makes pickles soft.
http://www.almanac.com/content...
I tasted these pickles 2 days
I tasted these pickles 2 days after they were made and they are soggy and not crisp.
I followed recipe exactly. What happened?