Pickling Tips and Dill Pickles
Grandma had cut a lot of recipes and such from the newspaper. Those she felt were most important were glued into a book. Here are several that deal with pickling.
Tips for Pickling:
Use good, clear vinegar which is free from sediment and is 4 to 6 percent acetic acid.
Choose fresh spices of the best quality. Whole spices are used for most cooked pickles; tie them in a cloth for cooking with other ingredients and remove before packing the pickles. This prevents darkening.
Be sure cucumbers are clean, firm and freshly picked. Choose uniform sizes.
Use enamelware, aluminum or stainless steel to heat acid pickling liquids for cooked pickles. Never use copper or a galvanized pail.
Use a crock or stone jar for brining and keep vegetables completely covered with brine while curing. One piece standing above brine may spoil entire batch.
Follow recipe directions and proportions for brine.
Remove scum as it forms on top of brine.
Causes of Defects in Pickles:
Hallowness - too much time elapsing between gathering and brining.
Shriveling - (occurs more often in sweet pickles) - Too strong salt, sugar, or vinegar solution, particularly in the early stage of pickling process.
Softening - Too dilute a brine or exposure of pickles above brine.
Spoilage or poor flavor - Too high temperature during fermentation (should not go over 85 degrees for best results) or too weak vinegar solution.
Toughness - Too much salt.
With that, here is recipe of grandma's for cucumber dill pickles.
40 or 50 medium sizea cucumbers
3/4 cup whole mixed pickling spices
Fresh or dried dill
2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups salt
2 gallons water
Wash cucumbers. Put half of pickle spices and a layer of dill in 5 gallon crock. Fill with cucumbers to within about 4 inches from top. Mix vinegar, salt and water; pour over cucumbers. Top with a layer of dill and remaining pickling spices. Cover with heavy plate and weight it so as to hold cucumbers under brine. Keep at about 70 degrees, removing scum as it forms. Let pickles ferement until clear, thoroughly flavored with dill and free of white spots when cut. This usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. Strain, bring brine to a boil and pour over pickles packed in hot, clean jars.
Tips for Pickling:
Use good, clear vinegar which is free from sediment and is 4 to 6 percent acetic acid.
Choose fresh spices of the best quality. Whole spices are used for most cooked pickles; tie them in a cloth for cooking with other ingredients and remove before packing the pickles. This prevents darkening.
Be sure cucumbers are clean, firm and freshly picked. Choose uniform sizes.
Use enamelware, aluminum or stainless steel to heat acid pickling liquids for cooked pickles. Never use copper or a galvanized pail.
Use a crock or stone jar for brining and keep vegetables completely covered with brine while curing. One piece standing above brine may spoil entire batch.
Follow recipe directions and proportions for brine.
Remove scum as it forms on top of brine.
Causes of Defects in Pickles:
Hallowness - too much time elapsing between gathering and brining.
Shriveling - (occurs more often in sweet pickles) - Too strong salt, sugar, or vinegar solution, particularly in the early stage of pickling process.
Softening - Too dilute a brine or exposure of pickles above brine.
Spoilage or poor flavor - Too high temperature during fermentation (should not go over 85 degrees for best results) or too weak vinegar solution.
Toughness - Too much salt.
With that, here is recipe of grandma's for cucumber dill pickles.
40 or 50 medium sizea cucumbers
3/4 cup whole mixed pickling spices
Fresh or dried dill
2 cups vinegar
1 1/2 cups salt
2 gallons water
Wash cucumbers. Put half of pickle spices and a layer of dill in 5 gallon crock. Fill with cucumbers to within about 4 inches from top. Mix vinegar, salt and water; pour over cucumbers. Top with a layer of dill and remaining pickling spices. Cover with heavy plate and weight it so as to hold cucumbers under brine. Keep at about 70 degrees, removing scum as it forms. Let pickles ferement until clear, thoroughly flavored with dill and free of white spots when cut. This usually takes 2 to 3 weeks. Strain, bring brine to a boil and pour over pickles packed in hot, clean jars.
posted by Ken @ 8:49 AM
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