If you want to create a good dill pickle, you need to start with a few ingredients not found in your local grocery store.
You’ll need a head of dill that is slightly under ripe. You need to pick the dill head when it has turned green. Not when there is pollen on the head and not when the head turns to seed. In between these two stages.The dill head will look like a fourth of July fireworks display and each end will look like the end of a q-tip, just not fuzzy.
You need to pick your cucumbers when they are as thick as your thumb and a little bigger is okay, but they are too big if you cut them open and there are seeds inside.
You can freeze your dill heads until your cucumbers are ready to use.
You’ll need an ice cream pail. If you do not currently have an empty one, you can buy one and get someone to eat the ice cream. If you have a stoneware crock, you can use it instead of the ice cream pail. No matter what you use, crock or pail, you’ll need to make sure it is very clean.
Wash your cucumbers. If you have picked a large quantity of cucumbers, you can put them in your washing machine with a towel or two and wash them your gentle cycle. You do not need to add soap.
The first thing you’ll need to do is put 1/4 tsp. of alum in your bucket. Put a layer of dill heads on the bottom. Take the cucumbers and stand them on end in a layer in the pail. Put a teaspoon of mustard seed on them. You’ll need to mix a brine mix of four cups of water, two cups of vinegar and one fourth cup of pickling salt together, bring to a boil and pour into the bucket over the cucumbers.
It is best if the cucumbers are completely covered with the brine mixture. If your cucumbers are not covered, just make more brine mix and add to your bucket.
Put a plate on top of the cucumbers to keep them under the brine.
Let sit at room temperature for a few days. Then, refrigerate and eat. Enjoy!
The recipe, in order of additions:
Bucket Dill Pickles
On bottom of ice cream pail
¼ tsp alum
1 layer dill heads
mustard seed
optional: garlic, onion, pepper
fill with cukes, unpeeled, cut lengthwise
dill on top
boil 4 c. water
2 c. vinegar
¼ c. pickling salt
OR 6 c. water
2. c. vinegar
½ c. salt
pour over cukes, cover with plate
set bucket in hot water bath until cool. Let stand on counter for couple days – then, refrigerate 24 hours
Per jar 2000
¼ ts. Alum
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. garlic
mustard seed
dill top/bottom
small bunch – drawing shows a sprig with 4 ends
1 tsp. chopped onion
cucumbers
