Sustainable Living > Preserving Food

needing a good pickle recipe

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DLMKA:
There are a couple ways to get good pickles. My favorite is a lactofermented pickle. Salt, water, cukes, dill, garlic, grape leaves (not sprayed with anything and fresh) and a couple hot peppers (if you like). Start getting sour in a few weeks. Shelf life is limited but this a a very traditional pickle, I'd have to dig up the salt:water ratio to start with. The grape leaves carry the right natural yeast spores to start the fermentation process.

Second is the refrigerator pickle. This is a pickle made with white vinegar plus garlic, salt, and dill plus whatever other spices you may want to try. Usually takes a few weeks in the fridge to get good and pickled. This is your "Claussen" pickle, taste great, never cooked, nice and crispy but takes up a ton of fridge space.

Canned pickle. Same as above but open bath can for 5-10 mins to get jars to seal and kill any nasties. Grape leaves help keep them crisp.

All pickles regardless of method should have the blossom end of the cuke cut off to limit softening fromt he enzymes on the blossom end, not sure I fully understand the process but does make a difference.

National Pickling cucumbers are really prolific and make nice, even fruits great for pickles. Pick them small for gherkins or go a little larger for a kosher dill or even slice lengthwise for spears. I just like picking and eating fresh too, they're rarely bitter.

LazyBkpr:
I have always used the MrsWages dill pickle mix you can get at farm supply stores. It made fantastic dill pickles from my garden raised cukes until about three or four years ago. They apparently changed something, and I am not nearly as crazy for them. Last year I only tried one batch of the dill, the rest I made with the garlic dill recipe from MrsWages. The dill still are not fantastic like they used to be, but the garlic dill came out wonderful. I am giving up on the dill recipe and will stick with the garlic dill mix, at least until I can find a better pre mix.   I have considered making my own recipe, but am a bit of a LazyPklMakr as well....

rcannon:
I love me some pickles. Particularly bread and butter pickles. Pickled okra, now that's good eating. I have to hide them from the youngest boy, he'll eat them all. Watermelon rind pickles are good too, it's just hard to find anyone who knows how to make them anymore. Pickled eggs, pickled beets, if it pickled I like it.

blueblood:

--- Quote from: rcannon on April 24, 2014, 08:51:40 pm ---I love me some pickles. Particularly bread and butter pickles. Pickled okra, now that's good eating. I have to hide them from the youngest boy, he'll eat them all. Watermelon rind pickles are good too, it's just hard to find anyone who knows how to make them anymore. Pickled eggs, pickled beets, if it pickled I like it.

--- End quote ---

Blue at them all!  :-\  I would sneak down to grandma's cellar while mom and grandma were occupied with talking and eat an entire jar...including the juice!  Oh, my goodness, would that ever make me ill.  I don't remember getting any discipline for that...thinking back, I am sure the discipline from the pickle gluttony was being curled up in the fetal position in the back seat of the old Buick Lesabre on the way home.

hamptor:
I just ran across this post, so I'm really late to reply.  But I found a recipe online that I've made the last 2 years for bread and butter pickles that is super simple but REALLY good.   It comes from Cochon Butcher which is a restaurant in New Orleans.  Google Cochon Butcher Bread and Butter Pickle recipe.   They keep for much longer than the recipe says!!!!   I've kept them for months in the refrigerator.

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