Fermented Kosher Dill Pickle Recipe

Fermented Kosher Dill Pickle Recipe

This recipe, adapted from Linda Ziedrich’s The Joy of Pickling, uses grape, oak or sour cherry leaves, which contain tannins believed to help keep fermented homemade pickles crisp. Store-bought, canned grape leaves will also do the trick. Yield: 1 gallon.

Equipment

Clean, gallon-sized glass jar or ceramic crock
Gallon-sized plastic bag or fitted crock weights

Ingredients

1 handful clean grape, oak or sour cherry leaves (optional)
Approximately 6 pounds of 4- to 5-inch unwaxed pickling cucumbers (preferably freshly picked), scrubbed and rinsed
Peeled cloves from 2 to 3 heads of garlic
2 quarts water
1 cup cider vinegar
6 tbsp unrefined sea salt or pickling salt
1/4 cup dill seed or 2 handfuls dill fronds

Place leaves in the bottom of a clean crock. Slice blossom ends off the cucumbers and pack cucumbers into the crock, smallest ones first, adding garlic cloves throughout. Do not fill crock more than two-thirds full. In a separate container, stir together water, vinegar, salt and dill until salt dissolves. Pour this brine over cucumbers until liquid is an inch above cucumbers when you’re pressing them down. If your crock has weights, set them on top of the cucumbers to submerge them. If you don’t have special weights, fill a gallon-sized plastic bag with water and set it on top to keep cucumbers submerged. Cover crock with towel to keep out dust.

Ferment pickles for 1 to 4 weeks at room temperature, checking crock daily. Scum may develop on top; this is normal. Carefully lift off weight and rinse it to remove scum. Skim scum from top of container before replacing weight and towel. Don’t worry about getting every last bit, but do this daily.

You may notice bubbles after the first few days, indicating lactic fermentation is underway. After a week, begin tasting the pickles daily. Keep fermenting until you enjoy the flavor. Pickles should be translucent throughout.

To store, place crock in a cool, dry, dark spot (the basement, for example), or remove pickles to smaller, lidded containers in the refrigerator. (If using metal lids, place a piece of plastic wrap between the container and the lid.) You may rinse fermented pickles and cover them with fresh pickle brine and seasonings, or strain and reuse your original brine. Pickles’ flavor will improve after about a month in cooler conditions.

Note: The brine should develop a yeasty aroma that is pleasant, never putrid. If pickles become slimy or moldy during fermentation, discard them and try again.

To can homemade pickles, process quart jars with half-inch headspace in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. (Bone up on canning how-to with our Home Canning Guide. Plus, you can download our free How to Can app. — MOTHER EARTH NEWS)

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-make-pickles-zm0z14aszmar.aspx#ixzz37g8yCGpZ

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-make-pickles-zm0z14aszmar.aspx#ixzz37g8itIlG

Pickled Asparagus Recipe

Pickled Asparagus Recipe

This particular recipe is adapted from the Pickled Asparagus with Mustard Seed recipe found in Put ‘em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton. I was fortunate to hear Ms. Brooks-Vinton speak at the Mother Earth News Fair a few years ago. She was friendly and engaging with an obvious love of all things preserving. Yield 3 quarts.

8 lbs. asparagus, washed and trimmed


8 cups cider vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 cup pickling salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp celery seed
2 tbsp mustard seed
2 tsp peppercorns



Trim the asparagus to lengths about 1 inch shorter than the quart jars. Tip the clean jars on their side and pack with the asparagus. Note: I use tongs for this step. Add one peeled garlic clove to each jar. In a medium saucepan (not aluminum) combine vinegar, water, salt, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Using a ladle and funnel, fill the jars with the water/vinegar brine mix. Leave 1/2 inch of head space. Carefully run a nonmetallic utensil down inside of jars to remove trapped air bubbles. Wipe jar tops and threads clean. Place lids on jars and screw bands on firmly. Process in boiling water canner for 20 minutes. Remove from canner. Let the jars cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Make sure jars have sealed, remove screw bands, and store in a cool, dark place. Let sit for 2-3 weeks before enjoying!

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/pickled-asparagus-zbcz1406.aspx#ixzz34HFTzBnv

Pickled Red Cabbage

Pickled Red Cabbage

1/2 medium head red cabbage (1 pound)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons raw cider vinegar

Alternate ingredients:

• 1 small head red cabbage (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 
  

Finely slice red cabbage, preferably with a  mandoline.  Place cabbage in a bowl and add salt and vinegar.  Using your hands to mix thoroughly, squeeze the cabbage until it begins to wilt and get juicy.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Add a little extra salt and vinegar if you plan on serving the following day, since the flavor fades as it marinates.

Quick Pickles

Quick Pickles

* 1 1/4 pound(s) pickling cucumbers, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1 cup(s) cider vinegar
* 1 cup(s) white vinegar
* 1 cup(s) light brown sugar
* 1 cup(s) slivered onion
* 2 clove(s) garlic, slivered
* 1 teaspoon(s) dill seed
* 1 teaspoon(s) mustard seed

Directions

1. Place cucumber slices in a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with salt; stir to combine. Let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse, drain and transfer to a large heatproof bowl.
2. Meanwhile, combine cider vinegar, white vinegar, brown sugar, onion, garlic, dill and mustard seed in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers; stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to bring to room temperature.

Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles

I'm going to try this recipe, but use Splenda instead.  Maybe I'll cut it back to 2 1/2 cups in place of the 3 cups sugar.

REFRIGERATOR BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

 

 

3 c. sugar
3 c. vinegar
1/3 c. canning salt
1 tbsp. mustard seed
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. turmeric

Wash slicing cucumbers and slice thin. Layer in glass jars with onion as desired. Combine above ingredients - sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed and turmeric. Heat slightly until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, then pour over cucumber slices. Cover and keep refrigerated. Let stand a day before starting to use.