East Side New York Half Sour Pickles Food

HALF-SOUR PICKLES (QUICK, SMALL-BATCH)

Steps:

• Gently scrub the cucumbers under running water to remove dirt and any particularly prominent spines on the nubs. Drain. Trim a thin slice from the blossom end and pack the cukes into a one-quart non-reactive container, such as glass or food-grade plastic. You may cut then into halves, slices, or spears if desired.
• Stir the salt and water until the salt dissolves. Add the aromatic/seasoning ingredients to the container with the cucumbers. Put the container on a plate to contain any possible dripping once fermentation begins.
• Pour in enough brine to cover the cucumbers. Push a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag into the container's aperture, fill it with the remaining brine, and seal the bag. The brine-filled bag serves to weigh down the pickles so they remain submerged and seals off the top of the jar while still allowing bubbles to escape. It is filled with brine instead of water, so any possible leakage will not dilute your solution. Cover with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band to keep out fruit flies or other flying little beasties you may discover are drawn to this stuff.
• After a few days, the brine may begin giving off tiny bubbles. Keep an eye on it and skim off any white foam that rises to the surface, giving the bag a rinse if necessary. The cucumbers will begin turning darker and to taste, well, brined after just two days. Let them go for a week and they should turn olive green throughout. Remove the bag, skim any new foam, close container fast, and put in the fridge.

DELI PICKLES - HALF SOURS

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers. Remove blossom ends carefully to remove soil.
• Place cucumbers in large crock. Distribute the dill heads evenly. Make a brine of the remaining items and add to the cucumbers. Covr with a heavy plate and weigh down with a glass jar filled with water.
• Store at moderate room temperature (70 to 75 degrees F). If scum forms, remove it daily. Pickles may be eaten after third day, but to be at their best pickles need a one week fermentaion. After one week, pack the.
• pickles into clean jars and refrigerate to halt fermentation. These pickles must be kept in the refrigerator.

KINDA SORTA SOUR PICKLES

Steps:

• Combine onion and cucumber slices in a clean jar.
• Combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the garlic, in a non-reactive saucepan.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 full minutes.
• Add the garlic cloves to the jar.
• Slowly pour the pickling liquid over the slices, filling to the top of the jar.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Top off the pickles with any remaining liquid and refrigerate at least overnight.