Traditional kosher dill pickles, as they were made and sold out of barrels in the Jewish neighborhoods of the lower east side of New York City during the Jewish immigration wave of the early 20th century.
Kosher Dill Pickles
This recipe is a traditional kosher dill pickle recipe, passed down from a 90-year-old former lower east side pickle maker named Moe, through Rabbi Marcus. The pickles are easy to make and require only a few ingredients. The key to success is getting the salt to water brine ratio correct.
Ingredients
- 16 oz spring water, room temperature
- 2 tbsp Diamond Kosher Salt
- 2 tbsp pickling spice
- 2-3 medium cloves of garlic
- Several Persian cucumbers
- 1 sprig fresh dill
Directions
- Add water and salt to a 32-oz plastic deli container. Place lid on tightly and shake vigorously to dissolve salt.
- Add pickling spice, replace lid and shake vigorously.
- Add garlic cloves.
- Inspect the cucumbers. Make sure that stems have been fully trimmed, as these can over ferment and cause the pickles to too easily soften. Pack pickles vertically in the container.
- Lay the dill frond ON TOP of the brine.
- Loosely place the lid on top - DO NOT SEAL IT DOWN TIGHTLY. As the cucumbers ferment, they will give off gas which will cause a sealed lid to bulge and possibly pop off unexpectedly. You may wish to poke small holes in the plastic lid to help with ventilation.
- Leave the cucumbers out on your counter top (or in a window) for one day. The warmer temperature will help to activate the fermentation process.
- Place pickles in the refrigerator. You may see bits of white scum float to the top as a byproduct of fermentation. Feel free to skim yours if you like.
- In my experience, I have new pickles after 3 days, half sours after about a week and a half, and full sours after three weeks. The pickling spice mixture can vary, so feel free to experiment with different blends to find your perfect pickle.