Lynne Guinne
Veteran
My Dad made the best crock pickles, but I could never find his recipe. A friend shared his, which I played with and adjusted until it tasted like my memory of Dad's. It's a quick, no-can pickle, to have on hand in your refrigerator during summer. I've never canned these, so I can't speak to the safety or quality if you do. I suggest you instead use a recipe developed for that type of processing.
This recipe is for a quart of pickles. If you make it as is and find it's not quite to your liking, adjust the ingredients until you're happy. I won't mind.
6-8 small pickling cucumbers. I prefer the "Kirby" variety. I would not recommend the seedless style such as a Persian cucumber, as they will become too soft.
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup vinegar (I use distilled white)
scant 1/4 cup salt
3 cloves of garlic
3 heads of fresh dill, or 1 1/2 Tablespoons dill seed
Use fresh, crisp cukes. Wash thoroughly in cold water. (Also wash any fresh dill you may be using.) Six inches is ideal, but if you're using a smaller pickle you can cut the tips off each end so that the brine penetrates the cuke better and prevents the small cukes from going soft. You can split long cukes in half lengthwise so they brine faster.
Use a glass or ceramic container, not metal.
Layer items in crock in this order:
- 1 head of dill (or 1/2 Tbsp) and a crushed or sliced clove of garlic.
- Add a layer(s) of pickles
- Add another head of dill (or 1/2 Tbsp) and the second clove of garlic
- Put your second layer of cukes, but leave 1 1/2 inches of clearance at the top of the container
- Top with another one or two dill heads, or a bit more dill seed
- Mix water, vinegar, and salt until all the salt is dissolved. Pour over the cukes, making sure they are completely covered
- Top the cukes with a clean plate, making sure the plate is weighed down so that all the cukes are completely submerged. I usually have more liquid than needed, so I put it into the clean jar that will hold the pickles when they are done brining at room temp. If you don't have extra brine, fill a jar with water or use a clean rock.
- Make sure the pickles are submerged the entire time they are curing. If you need more liquid. mix water and vinegar to a 2 to 1 ratio, water to vinegar.
- Cover the crock with a clean kitchen towel. If you think there is any chance that the towel will wick any liquid, make sure the crock and towel are on a safe surface. I learned the hard way to put it on a plastic lap tray...
My Notes:
Because my Dad did it, I put a slice of rye bread on top of the cukes (under the plate) for the first overnight, removing it about 24 hours after I finished packing the crock. Dad said it added to the "sour" of the pickles. I don't argue with his success. Make sure it's a sturdy slice of bread, not a soft sandwich rye. I use the heel part for this. You don't have to use the bread. It's just kinda a family tradition with me.
If you are curing the pickles in the kitchen, put them in an out-of-the-way corner and start checking at 3 or 4 days, depending on how warm your kitchen is. I (and Dad before me) let them cure in the basement, starting to check at day five.
Once cured enough for your taste, pack the pickles and their brine into a clean jar(s) and refrigerate.
After they are refrigerated, we noticed that they mellowed with flavor. Ideally, I would make a batch of these every two weeks, not eating the pickles until they had been in the fridge an additional two-week minimum.
Lastly, enjoy!
This recipe is for a quart of pickles. If you make it as is and find it's not quite to your liking, adjust the ingredients until you're happy. I won't mind.
6-8 small pickling cucumbers. I prefer the "Kirby" variety. I would not recommend the seedless style such as a Persian cucumber, as they will become too soft.
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup vinegar (I use distilled white)
scant 1/4 cup salt
3 cloves of garlic
3 heads of fresh dill, or 1 1/2 Tablespoons dill seed
Use fresh, crisp cukes. Wash thoroughly in cold water. (Also wash any fresh dill you may be using.) Six inches is ideal, but if you're using a smaller pickle you can cut the tips off each end so that the brine penetrates the cuke better and prevents the small cukes from going soft. You can split long cukes in half lengthwise so they brine faster.
Use a glass or ceramic container, not metal.
Layer items in crock in this order:
- 1 head of dill (or 1/2 Tbsp) and a crushed or sliced clove of garlic.
- Add a layer(s) of pickles
- Add another head of dill (or 1/2 Tbsp) and the second clove of garlic
- Put your second layer of cukes, but leave 1 1/2 inches of clearance at the top of the container
- Top with another one or two dill heads, or a bit more dill seed
- Mix water, vinegar, and salt until all the salt is dissolved. Pour over the cukes, making sure they are completely covered
- Top the cukes with a clean plate, making sure the plate is weighed down so that all the cukes are completely submerged. I usually have more liquid than needed, so I put it into the clean jar that will hold the pickles when they are done brining at room temp. If you don't have extra brine, fill a jar with water or use a clean rock.
- Make sure the pickles are submerged the entire time they are curing. If you need more liquid. mix water and vinegar to a 2 to 1 ratio, water to vinegar.
- Cover the crock with a clean kitchen towel. If you think there is any chance that the towel will wick any liquid, make sure the crock and towel are on a safe surface. I learned the hard way to put it on a plastic lap tray...
My Notes:
Because my Dad did it, I put a slice of rye bread on top of the cukes (under the plate) for the first overnight, removing it about 24 hours after I finished packing the crock. Dad said it added to the "sour" of the pickles. I don't argue with his success. Make sure it's a sturdy slice of bread, not a soft sandwich rye. I use the heel part for this. You don't have to use the bread. It's just kinda a family tradition with me.
If you are curing the pickles in the kitchen, put them in an out-of-the-way corner and start checking at 3 or 4 days, depending on how warm your kitchen is. I (and Dad before me) let them cure in the basement, starting to check at day five.
Once cured enough for your taste, pack the pickles and their brine into a clean jar(s) and refrigerate.
After they are refrigerated, we noticed that they mellowed with flavor. Ideally, I would make a batch of these every two weeks, not eating the pickles until they had been in the fridge an additional two-week minimum.
Lastly, enjoy!
