Polish Brine-Cured Dill Pickles

Polish Brine-Cured Dill Pickles

DILL PICKLE INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS

Wash and drain 4 lbs. roughly 4-inch, green pickling cucumbers. Cukes larger than 6 inches are not used. If you have cucumbers of varying size, put the large ones at bottom of jar, since they take longer to cure.

The best cucumbers to brine-cure are those picked the same day.

If yours are not, soak them in ice cold water 2-3 hrs. Wash, dry, scald with boiling water, and dry again large glass jar or crock big enough to accommodate the pickles. At bottom of container, place 3 stalks mature pickling dill (heads or seed clusters as well as stems).

Stand cucumbers in container upright. Add 3-5 cloves garlic, several small pieces of horseradish root, and several fruit leaves (cherry, black-currant or grape are best!).

Bring to boil 6 c. water and 3 T. pickling salt. When cooled slightly, pour warm solution over cucumbers. Cover with inverted plate and weight down so cucumbers are submerged. Cover with cheesecloth and that's all there is to it.

They should be fully cured in 7-10 days. You may leave them on counter until all are used up (and remove them with tongs, never with fingers!), or transfer to fridge.
Dill Pickle Recipe