Dave's cold-packed polish dills

36 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 pounds Pickling cucumbers
8 eaches Dill heads
6 eaches Cloves of garlic (or more)
8 cups Water
1 teaspoon Alum (option)
2 tablespoons Whole mustard seed
2 cups White vinegar
½ cup Pickling salt
½ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
4 teaspoons Whole mustard seed
(option)
3 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper (option)

Directions

OPTIONS (PERSONAL TASTES

Wash and dry the cucumbers; prick a few holes in each with a fork, or quarter them lengthwise. Peel and break the garlic cloves.

Place half of the dill heads in the bottom of a clean 1-gallon jar.

Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and mustard seed. Pack loosely with cucumbers and top with the remaining dill. Refrigerate while preparing brine.

Combine water, vinegar, and salt in a saucepan. Heat to boiling, then cool to room temperature. Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers, making sure they are covered. Screw a lid on the jar and store in the fridge for about 4 - 6 weeks before serving. If you've quartered the cucumbers instead of leaving them whole, they will be ready somewhat sooner (two or three weeks instead).

Ingredients can also be divided between four 1-quart widemouth jars.

I find it more convenient to make a gallon jar batch (takes less of a footprint in the refrigerator) and then divide up the pickles later into separate jars when they're ready to eat. (That frees up the jar for the next batch, too...these pickles are really popular with my family and friends, and we are never without a gallon in the back of the fridge "curing.")

Enjoy!

Dave

The options given above are from personal experimentation.

The addition of a small amount of alum makes a marked improvement in the flavor of the pickles. The slight bite provided by the alum is appreciable. A spicier pickle can be made by increasing the pepper flakes to 2 or 2½ tsp. Increasing the mustard seed to 2 Tb.

makes a nice mustard pickle. A mild mustard flavor becomes more pronounced in the flavor of the pickle.

Submitted By JOHN PRATHER On 11-03-95

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