Full-Sour Dill Pickles
also called sour pickles · sour dills · full sours · dill pickles · fermented pickles · barrel pickles · kosher dills · deli pickles · old pickles
- Deli
- serves 12
- about 23 days
- Dressings & Dips
Three ways to read this recipe
The table
| 2 lb(900 g)Kirby cucumbers | trim and soak 2 hr | pack the jar | cover with brine, ferment 3 weeks at 65-70°F (18-21°C) | chill 2 days |
| 2 qt(2 L)ice water | ||||
| 6 cloves(peeled, crushed)garlic | ||||
| 1 bunch(seed heads and all)fresh dill | ||||
| 1 Tbsyellow mustard seed | ||||
| 1 tspblack peppercorns | ||||
| 1 tspcoriander seed | ||||
| 2bay leaves | ||||
| 1dried red chile | ||||
| 2(or 1 black tea bag)grape leaves | ||||
| 50 g(3 1/2 Tbs Morton, or 1/3 cup Diamond Crystal; nothing iodised)kosher salt | stir the 5% brine | |||
| 4 cups(950 mL)filtered water |
What to lay out
Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.13 things to get out.
Pans and tools
1trim and soak 2 hr
2stir the 5% brine
3pack the jar
goes in with what step 1 made
Cooking it
Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.
The clock
- Start to finish
- at least 23 days 2 hrtwo waits that overlap count once
- Needs you
- none givenof the steps that give a time
2 of the 5 steps never say how long they take, so both numbers are floors. The recipe itself says 23 days.
stir the 5% brine
not timedfrom the start
trim and soak 2 hr
2 hrwalk awayfrom the start
pack the jar
not timed2 hr in
cover with brine, ferment 3 weeks at 65-70°F (18-21°C)
21 dayswalk away2 hr in
chill 2 days
2 dayswalk away21 days 2 hr in
- you can walk away
- never timed
Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them.
You'll need half-gallon jar
Goes with
See how it is written
>> title: Full-Sour Dill Pickles
>> category: Dressings & Dips
>> tags: cucumber, dill, fermented, pickle, deli
>> counters: Deli
>> aka: sour pickles, sour dills, full sours, dill pickles, fermented pickles, barrel pickles, kosher dills, deli pickles, old pickles
>> pairs-with: deli-rye-bread
>> servings: 12
>> time: 23 days
>> step.1: stir the 5% brine
>> step.2: trim and soak 2 hr
>> step.3: pack the jar
>> step.4: cover with brine, ferment 3 weeks at 65-70°F (18-21°C)
>> step.5: chill 2 days
Dissolve @kosher salt{50%g}(3 1/2 Tbs Morton, or 1/3 cup Diamond Crystal; nothing iodised) in @filtered water{4%cup}(950 mL) until the water is clear. That is a 5% brine, which is the strength that carries a three-week ferment without going soft.
Shave a thin slice off the blossom end of @Kirby cucumbers{2%lb}(900 g) and ~soak{2%hr} in @ice water{2%qt}(2 L). The blossom end carries the enzyme that turns a pickle to mush.
Pack @&(~1)cucumbers{} upright into a #half-gallon jar{} with @garlic{6%cloves}(peeled, crushed), @fresh dill{1%bunch}(seed heads and all), @yellow mustard seed{1%Tbs}, @black peppercorns{1%tsp}, @coriander seed{1%tsp}, @bay leaves{2}, @dried red chile{1}, and @grape leaves{2}(or 1 black tea bag), whose tannin holds the crunch.
Pour @&(~3)brine{} over @&(~1)packed jar{} to cover by an inch, weight everything under the surface, set the lid on loose so the gas can escape, and ~ferment{3%weeks} at 65-70°F (18-21°C), until they are olive through and sour to the middle rather than bright green. Skim any white film and top up with the spare brine.
Refrigerate @&(~1)pickles{} ~chill{2%days} before eating; they keep 2 months, going slowly softer.