Making Kosher Dills

[Tab]

I've been hovering around experimenting with making pickles, and I guess there's two kinds - the cold water overnight technique, and the soak-them-for-weeks technique. I haven't tried either yet, but I just found this article about making Kosher Dills...

Margolin, who previously led seminars on how to make matzohs and shofars, said the primary motivation is to "teach people the meaning of kosher, and do it in a fun way. We're trying to bring the ethnic, kosherness back."

He walked them through the pickle-making process:

- First, a little less than two tablespoons of kosher salt goes into a plastic quart container. Then comes 1 3/4 cups of water to make a brine.

- Next comes a scoop or two of pickling spices. Then, depending on their size, four or five kirby cucumbers are wedged into the container, followed by between one and five cloves of garlic.

- Then, the whole concoction is topped off by some pieces of dill, before the container is closed for the trip home.

- When the pickles arrive home, take off the lid and let the cucumbers rest in the brine on a kitchen counter.

"Make sure it's uncovered!" Margolin said. "Otherwise, the pressure inside the container will get to be too much and you'll have an explosion of pickle juice all over your house."

Really good sour pickles take about seven days until they're ready to eat; half-sour, not surprisingly, take half the time.

===
The midday seminar ended with Rabbi Anchelle Perl, the leader of the Mineola congregation, donning a green pickle suit and dancing in celebration with his fellow rabbis.

He said he was pleased with the event.

"Who can't like a class where you learn a little something and get to take home a jar of fresh kosher pickles?" he said.

http://www.eagletribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_051061706.html


Sounds simple enough!

The reference to "when the pickles arrive home" is because he teaches this in a class that people attend. Obviously if you're at home, you don't have to put the lid on. I might try it this weekend.

[Warpy]

1. Sunflower Market finally started selling half sours

I've missed them for nearly 2 decades. Mine never turn out like the commercial ones do.

I prefer to do cucumbers in sour cream with dill and garlic, almost but not quite pickles.

[eleny]

5. Cukes with sour cream and sliced onion - yummy on a hot day

I've never tried the dill and garlic combo and i'm very curious to try it.

[Richard Steele]

6. Grandma Steele used to do something like that.

I've never quite recreated it perfectly-
it was fresh cucumbers in a tangy marinade, and just as you say:
"not quite pickles".

[grasswire]

2. easy, easy to do...

...and if you want to make really old-time pickles, this same recipe can be used for fermented dills, which take longer.

The trick with those is that if they don't ferment well, you have a jar full of botulism.

[kestrel91316]

3. Hey, perfect for this weekend. I'll make a couple of jars of those.

I'll just make them right in my quart canning jars with those handy plastic lids you can get for them........but NOT screwed on, lol.

[kestrel91316]

4. I just made a quart of half-sours, they will be ready in a few days.

Went to the little Middle Eastern market near my office for the kirby cukes (Ralph's market sells only giant overmature kirbys - blech!!), garlic, and dill (only 79c a bunch). I used the recipe in Joy of Pickling, which has peppercorns, coriander seed garlic, bay leaf, dried red chile, and fresh dill. I used a brine of a scant 2 tbsp kosher salt to 3 c. filtered water. I just folled the jar to the brim with brine and put the plastic cap on loosely - didn't feel like dicking around with the plastic bag full of brine to seal the air out - I figure they didn't have any such thing when fermented pickles were invented, and I can easily skim any scum, but in 1 week I doubt any forms.

It is supposed to get really hot all of a sudden on Monday (101+) so I may stick them in the fridge that day. My AC is not real good at keeping the kitchen cool, and warm conditions could lead to mold.........

[kestrel91316]

7. My pickles turned out great. You should make these, Tab.

Plenty sour enough. I got a little worried because we had some hot days while they were fermenting, but all it well. Gonna make another jar this weekend.