Dill pickles are often used to flavor sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers and much more. Aromatic herbs such as dill, garlic and chilli increase its pungent flavor. People who make their own subcultures often have a hard time getting the same crunchiness as commercial products. However, the storage process can be changed to overcome this problem, read on!
Ingrediants
- Salt for brine
- Gherkins
- Fresh dill
- Peeled garlic cloves
- Waterfall
- White vinegar
Steps
Step 1. Purchase preserving jars and brine salt for preparing pickles
Use half-liter or one-liter jars according to your preferences; however this recipe calls for the production of 4 half-liter jars. You can't use ordinary table salt.
Step 2. Wash the cucumbers thoroughly
Make sure they are firm and set aside those intended for other preparations. Dry them and store them in the fridge overnight.
If you want very crunchy gherkins, pot them within 24 hours of picking them. Also choose vegetables that are no more than 10 cm long. Do not use those from the supermarket, because they have the skin treated with wax
Step 3. Decide how you want to package the pickles
These are the three most popular options:
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According to many people, leaving gherkins whole is a great way to keep their crunchy texture.
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If you like to put pickles in sandwiches, you can consider slicing them horizontally. They will remain flat in the bread and the portions will be smaller.
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If you like smaller portions and want to serve the pickles as a side dish, cut them vertically into four parts. By doing so, perhaps they will be less crunchy, but certainly the dimensions will be more comfortable to manage.
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Step 4. Wash the jars thoroughly with soap and water to remove previous food residues
Rinse them thoroughly.
Step 5. Sterilize them by placing them in a pot with hot water
Boil them together with the lids for 10-15 minutes. Finally remove them from the water with kitchen tongs while wearing oven gloves.
If you live below 300m, boil the jars for 10 minutes. Add 1 minute of “cooking” for every additional 300m of altitude
Step 6. Place the 4 jars on the kitchen worktop and wait for them to cool
Add 3 cloves of peeled garlic to each jar.
Step 7. Add a fresh dill bud
Make sure it is well washed and dry.
Step 8. If you wish, you can add half a teaspoon of peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds to each container
Some people also like powdered onion or chopped fresh onion.
Step 9. If you like spicy pickles, add half a hot pepper or a teaspoon of chilli flakes to each jar
Step 10. Prepare the brine
In a saucepan, pour 590 ml of white vinegar with the same amount of water and 60 g of salt for brine. Heat to boiling point and then immediately remove the mixture from the heat.
Step 11. Insert whole or chopped cucumbers into the jars, keeping as much of them as possible
You should try to fill the container as full as possible.
Step 12. Pour the brine over the gherkins
Leave 1.3 cm of free space on the top edge.
Step 13. Put the lids on
Step 14. Place the jars in a pot full of water and boil them for 5 minutes (set a timer)
Do not leave them to soak beyond this time otherwise the gherkins will lose their crunchiness.
Step 15. Dry the jars with a cloth and allow them to cool before placing them in the pantry
- Many people prefer to refrigerate pickles. This means that they do not seal the jars in boiling water and immediately transfer them to the fridge. If you plan to follow this technique, tightly tighten the lids on the jars still hot from the brine and let them cool on the kitchen counter before refrigerating them.
- Sealing the jars in boiling water prevents the formation of mold and yeast that can damage the gherkins.
