Grandma Rubins Kosher Dills Recipes

FERMENTED KOSHER-STYLE DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 gallon of water into a large container or pot. Cover loosely and allow to sit for 24 hour to allow dissolved chlorine to escape.
• Crisp cucumbers by storing in the refrigerator or soaking in very cold water for 1 hour.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
• Wash cucumbers in cold water and remove any blossoms that may be clinging to them. Quarter large cucumbers lengthwise. Cut medium cucumbers in half lengthwise. Leave gherkin-sized cucumbers whole.
• Peel and gently crush garlic cloves, but don't splinter them into fragments.
• Pour cooled salt water into a 1/2-gallon Mason jar. Add cucumbers, garlic, dill, and dried chile peppers, arranged attractively. Pack cucumbers tightly; they will shrink as they pickle. Fill the jar with the dechlorinated water until cucumbers are just covered to avoid overly diluting the brine.
• Loosely cover the jar and set aside at room temperature. Set the jar on a dish if it is very full, to catch any dribbles. Give the pickles 12 to 24 hours to begin fermenting. Refrigerate them, in brine and loosely covered, as they approach the stage of pickling you prefer: new, half-sour, or sour. Don't overshoot the mark, as refrigeration slows, but does not stop, fermentation.

KOSHER PICKLES, THE RIGHT WAY

Steps:

• Combine the salt and 1 cup boiling water in a large bowl; stir to dissolve the salt. Add a handful of ice cubes to cool the mixture, then all the remaining ingredients.
• Add cold water to cover. Use a plate slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl and a small weight to keep the cucumbers immersed. Set aside at room temperature.
• Begin sampling the cucumbers after 4 hours if you quartered them. It will probably take 12 to 24 hours or even 48 hours for them to taste pickled enough to suit your taste.
• When they are ready, refrigerate them, still in the brine. The pickles will continue to ferment as they sit, more quickly at room temperature and more slowly in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to a week.

GRANDMA'S DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• In a stockpot, bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil; boil 10 minutes. Pack cucumbers into nine hot quart jars within 1/2 in. of top. Place one dill head, two garlic cloves and two peppers in each jar. , Carefully ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. . Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool.