Following are two recipes from Andrea Chesman's book.
No-fail half-sour dill pickles
Vinegar gives a kick start to the pickling process in these quick and easy recipe, guaranteeing success. If you've never tried fermented pickles, this is definitely the recipe to start with.
You can multiply this recipe as many times as you like, but these pickles are best enjoyed at 1 to 2 weeks, so it makes sense to make small batches as the cucumber season progresses. (Makes about 2 quarts.)
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons pickling or fine sea salt
• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 dill head, or 6 sprigs fresh dill
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 8 cups whole pickling cucumbers
1. Heat the water and salt in a saucepan, stirring until the salt is fully dissolved. Add the white vinegar and let cool to room temperature.
2. Slice 1/16 inch off the blossom end of each cucumber.
3. Pack a clean 2-quart canning jar or crock with the dill, garlic, and cucumbers, in that order. Pour in the brine. Weight the cucumbers so they are completely submerged in the brine.
4. Cover the container to exclude the air. Set the jar where the temperature will remain constant: 65 degrees to 75 degrees F is ideal.
5. Check the jar daily and remove any scum that forms on the surface.
6. The pickles will be ready in 2 to 3 days, although full flavor will not be reached for a week. If your kitchen is reasonably cool, you can leave these pickles out for up to 2 weeks. If the brine starts to become cloudy, refrigerate immediately to prevent spoiling. The flavor of the dill and garlic will continue to develop. The pickles will keep for at least 3 months in the refrigerator.
Kitchen note: If your cucumbers are large, you might want to cut them into spears rather than leave them whole. Spears will pickle faster and more evenly than whole cucumbers.
Classic bread and butters by the pint
A farmhouse classic, bread and butters are essential to the pickler's pantry: sweet, spiced, crunchy. They make an excellent addition to old-fashioned macaroni salad. (Makes 1 pint.)
• 2¼ to 2½ cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers, blossom ends discarded
• ½ small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon pickling or fine sea salt, or more if needed
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon mixed pickling spices
• ½ teaspoon celery seeds
• Boiling water
• Pickle Crisp Granules (optional)
1. Combine the cucumbers, onion, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Cover the vegetables with ice water and let stand for at least 2 hours, up to 6 hours. Drain. Taste a slice of cucumber. If it isn't decidedly salty, toss the vegetables with an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons pickling salt. If it is too salty (which it never is for me), rinse the vegetables in water.
2. Combine the cider vinegar, brown sugar, and turmeric in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and bring to a boil. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
3. Pack pickling spices and celery seeds into a clean hot 1-pint jar. Pack in the cucumbers and onions, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Pour in the vinegar mixture. The vinegar mixture will not cover the vegetables, so top off with the boiling water, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add a rounded 1/8 teaspoon of Pickle Crisp to the jar, if using. Remove any air bubbles and seal.
4. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool undisturbed for 12 hours. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not open for at least 6 weeks to allow the flavors to develop.
Kitchen note: If you slice your cucumbers paper-thin on a mandoline or other device, you will fit 2½ cups of salted slices into a pint jar. If the slices are thicker, fewer will fit in. Extra-salted cucumber slices are tasty in salads or enjoyed plain.