Here is my process:
Pickle Recipes - NO COOK DILL PICKLES - VMAN THIS IS WHAT I MADE AND THEY WERE GREAT !!! DO in your favorite crock w LID or a 5 Gal. Restaurant bucket
4 lbs. small Cucumbers
8 cups Distilled Water ( ½ Gallon )
¼ cup Pickling Salt (or non-iodized table salt)
2 TBSP Pickling Spices
5 Garlic Cloves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch Fresh Dill ( 1 oz pkg )
1 slice day-old Rye Bread ( NO PRESERVATIVES )
Wash Cucumbers thoroughly and arrange them in a 1-gallon glass jar (sun tea jars are perfect IF BURPED daily OR your Favorite Crock). Dissolve Salt in Water and pour over Cukes. Add Spices and Garlic. Lay Dill and Rye Bread on top of Cukes. Cover with plastic wrap, or a plate, and place a heavy object (a clean rock or can of soup) on the wrap to keep Cukes submerged.
Let stand 3 days at Room Temperature. . Refrigerate 5 days. Remove pickles from jar, strain and reserve liquid. ( Toss Chunks ) Store pickles in strained liquid in refrigerator for up to 6 months. Makes 1 gallon. (these ferment like Sauerkraut not pickle like w Vinegar)
Quantity: An average of 14 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 9 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 16 to 24 quarts – an average of 2 pounds per quart.
Quality: Select firm cucumbers of the appropriate size: about 1-1/2 inches for gherkins and 4 inches for dills. Use odd-shaped and more mature cucumbers for relishes and bread-and-butter style pickles.
Gauging Brine Strength: - Added to 1 Quart of Water, each TBSP of Sea Salt adds 1.8% Brine.
So 2 TBSP of Salt in 1 Quart of Water yields 3.6% Brine, 3 TBSP yields 5.4%, and so on.
Low-Salt Pickles, around 3.5% Brine are “HALF SOURS” in delicatessen lingo.
THIS Recipe is for SOUR, fairly salty pickles, using around 5.4% Brine.
If the Brine doesn’t cover the weighted down plate add more brine mixed at the same ratio: of just under 1 TBSP Salt to each CUP of Distilled Water.
I also add a few hot peppers (I slit the sides first), or some folks use red pepper flakes if you want em to have a bite.
These are really easy and really good.
Thought I'd just post my process for you and anyone interested to see.
V