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Deli-Style Kosher Dill Pickles
Per gallon jar:
8-10 cucumbers for pickling (a medium size)
1-large handful fresh dill with flower heads (or add 1/4 teaspoon dill seed if flower heads are missing)
4-6 large cloves of garlic, flattened Water
1/2-cup coarse kosher salt or pickling salt
4 teaspoons pickling spice (Blue Ribbon, or other)
1-2 large bay leaves
1. Pack each gallon jar with cucumbers, sprinkling salt between each layer.
2. Add pickling spice, salt, dill (dill heads) and bay leaves.
3. Fill jar with water but leave two inches of room for brine to form.You may prepare this in large crocks (something non-reactive) and then transfer to glass jars when finished.
4. Weigh cucumbers down to keep submerged and cover.
5. After 2-3 days, remove scum (if any has formed)
6. Let ferment 3 more days and check for doneness by cutting off a slice of one cucumber.
7. Once they are fermented to the right stage (to taste), transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate. Ferment longer (12-20 days) for pungent sour pickles
Note:Real deli-style Kosher pickles have no vinegar added in the process unlike regular dills. They get their bite from fermentation. Just like when you go to the grocery store and see pickles in the refrigerated section, these pickles must be kept in the fridge. The fermenting will continue unabated if you don't stop it by putting them in the refrigerator. The cold greatly slows down the fermentation but won't stop it completely. It will continue to age but at a much slower rate. There is only one thing to do to stop the aging. EAT THEM ! Enjoy !
