Quick Cucumber Dill Pickles Food

QUICK PICKLED CUCUMBER RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare the cucumbers. (Optional) Place the sliced cucumbers and some ice cubes in a colander in the sink for 20 minutes or so (this helps give them better crunch). Drain completely and pat dry.
• Make the Brine. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, salt, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorn and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Pack cucumbers and vegetables in jars. Pack the cucumbers, green onions, jalapenos, garlic, and a few springs of dill in some wide-mouth jars (they should be packed tightly).
• Add the brine to the jars. Ladle the brine into the jars to cover the cucumbers (use the back of a spoon to push the cucumbers down to submerge). Give the jars a couple of taps to release any air bubbles and allow the cukes to settle.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate. Cover the jars tightly with their lids and refrigerate. For best results, allow the pickles a full night in the fridge before using, but you can enjoy them earlier if you like.

QUICK PICKLES

Steps:

• Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.

QUICK REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut a thin sliver off of the flower end of each cucumber.
• Leave the cucumbers whole if they are small, or cut lengthwise into spears if big.
• Bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar or honey to a boil. Stir once or twice to dissolve the salt and sugar. Let cool to room temperature or place the brine into the refrigerator to speed up the process.
• Place the garlic cloves and one of the grape leaves, if using, into the bottom of a clean glass quart jar (or split garlic and leaves into two pint-sized jars).
• Pack the cucumbers vertically into the jar(s), adding the remaining spices and herbs as you do so. Be sure to pack the cucumbers in tightly so that they will not float up out of the brine.
• Pour the cooled brine over cucumbers, being sure to completely cover with liquid.
• Secure the lid and place jar(s) in the refrigerator. The pickles will be ready to eat in 4 days.

DILL PICKLED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Cut the pickling or ridged cucumbers into sticks or slices. Layer with the coarse crystal sea salt in a large bowl, cover and leave overnight. Drain away the brine, then rinse.
• To make the pickling vinegar, put the whole spices in a medium saucepan. Toast over a low heat until they begin to smell aromatic. Add the dried chilli flakes last, as these can easily catch. Add the bay, pour in all of the vinegar and sugar, let it dissolve, and bring to a simmer. Add the dill sprigs.
• Pack the cucumber into jars, pour over the hot vinegar and seal. Ready to eat in 2 weeks, or longer, if you like.

REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Stir water, vinegar, sugar, and sea salt together in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and cool completely.
• Combine cucumber spears, garlic cloves, and fresh dill in a large glass or plastic container. Pour cooled vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture. Seal container with lid and refrigerate for at least 3 days.

DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Combine the salt and water in a pitcher and stir until the salt has dissolved.
• Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly and snip off the blossom end stem. Set aside.
• Place the peppercorns, pepper flakes, garlic, dill seed and fresh dill into a 1-gallon crock. Add the cucumbers to the crock on top of the aromatics. Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers in order to completely cover. Pour the remaining water into a 1-gallon ziptop plastic bag and seal. Place the bag on top of the pickles making sure that all of them are completely submerged in the brine. Set in a cool, dry place.
• Check the crock after 3 days. Fermentation has begun if you see bubbles rising to the top of the crock. After this, check the crock daily and skim off any scum that forms. If scum forms on the plastic bag, rinse it off and return to the top of the crock.
• The fermentation is complete when the pickles taste sour and the bubbles have stopped rising; this should take approximately 6 to 7 days. Once this happens, cover the crock loosely and place in the refrigerator for 3 days, skimming daily or as needed. Store for up to 2 months in the refrigerator, skimming as needed. If the pickles should become soft or begin to take on an off odor, this is a sign of spoilage and they should be discarded.

QUICK REFRIGERATOR DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Clean the cucumbers well and then snip off the ends. Then cut into either spears or thin rounds. Stuff the cucumbers into two clean 1-quart glass jars. Divide the garlic, dill, bay leaves, coriander, peppercorns, mustard seeds and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) between both jars and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the water, salt and sugar. Set over moderate heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat and cool down to room temperature.
• Once cooled, pour the mixture between both jars up to the very top. Seal tightly and place in the fridge for at least 1 week or up to 1 month.

QUICK CUCUMBER DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• 1. Wash and cut un-peeled cucumbers into dill spears. (I used a cucumber length that would just fit the pint jars.) Pack spears in the two pint jars fairly tight.
• 2. Note: If using Alum soak spears in three cups cold water to which 1/4 teaspoon of alum has been added for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain and rinse well before adding brine. Do not add more Alum. (See the comments section to see Shirley Makekau's better suggestion regarding the "Pickle Crisp" product in lieu of Alum).
• 3. In a medium sized microwave safe bowl add all other ingredients except the Alum. Nuke on high 8 to 10 minutes to a low boil.
• 4. Pour liquid into spear packed jars and seal and give a quick shake to distribute.
• 5. When jars have cooled considerably place in fridge. I normally place jars on a paper towel and invert and turn jars upside down every 4 hours or so for the first day, to distribute contents.
• 6. Pickle should be pleasant to eat in two days, and improve with age. Should keep safely in fridge for 2 to 3 months, if you can keep out of the jars.
• 7. Need more, just increase the quantities in two pint stages.
• 8. I googled "Alum" to check it's makeup and safety. It is, a cousin to aluminum and should be used sparingly and modestly. It has been used in the making of pickles for many years to provide the crispiness and snap of many pickles. It is, found in the spice section of the store. I provide this caution only to warn of a possible over usage. Additional note added 6/7/12: Pickling Lime could also be used. And requires rinsing. I have experimented with pickling lime. There is also a "Pickling Crisp" product on the market from Ball the canning jar company, which I have not tried. Other sources say soaking the spears in ice water at the start will also provide some crispness. though I don't think it will equal the use of a small amount of Alum. The Alum provided a definite crispness and slightly tough texture to the pickle rind, things I find desirable in a pickle.
• 9. Note: You could slice pickles into round chips, or you could leave whole, and prick a few times with a fork or ice pick to absorb the brine. Left whole they will require more refrigerator time to absorb the brine.
• 10. I'm a low salt practitioner, but some things just naturally require salt. If after two or three days the outcome is questionable, add a little more salt. It just might make the Big Difference.

QUICK PICKLES - KOSHER DILL

Steps:

• Toss cucumbers with salt in colander set over a bowl.
• Let stand 1 hour.
• Discard liquid.
• Place peppercorns, dill weed, garlic and 1/2 cup fresh dill in paper coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth and tie tightly with kitchen twine.
• Bring spice bag and vinegar to a med boil reduce heat to low and add cucumbers. Cover and cook about 5 minutes until cukes turn dull olive brown in color (don't over cook or pickles won't be crunchy). Discard spice bag. Transfer cukes and liquid to a glass bowl, add ice, nd stir until melted. Stir in remaining 1 tbls fresh dill. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 1 hour before serving. (pickles can be refrigerated in covered container for up to 2 weeks).
• Time does not include chilling.