MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Half-Sour Garlic Dill Pickles
Categories: Squash, Vegetables, Herbs, Chilies
     Yield: 1 Quart

   3/4 c  (1 tb + 1 ts) pickling salt,
          - (1 tb + 1 ts) kosher salt,
          - (2 tb Diamond Crystal & 1
          - tb + 2 ts Morton)
          +=OR=+
   3/4 c  Unrefined sea salt
     1 lb Firm pickling cucumbers; 6
          - to 8
     4    Sprigs fresh dill
   1/2 ts Mustard seed
     6 lg Cloves garlic; peeled,
          - bruised and halved
   1/2 ts Cracked black peppercorns
       pn Crushed red pepper flakes

 In a 2 cup measuring cup, dissolve the salt in 1 cup of
 hot tap water. When dissolved, add 1 cup cold tap water.

 Trim the small round scab from the blossom end of each
 cucumber. Tightly pack the cucumbers vertically in a quart
 jar. Fit the dill sprigs and garlic around the cucumbers.
 Sprinkle the black pepper and crushed red pepper, on top.

 Add enough of the salt water to the jar to completely
 cover the contents, leaving about an inch of airspace at
 the top of the jar. If you have any brine left, save it.
 Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a kitchen towel secured
 with a rubber band, or partially screw on the lid.

 Put the jar in a cool room (about 65 F) away from direct
 sunlight, and let the pickles ferment for 4 days. During
 this time, bubbles of carbon dioxide gas will become
 visible inside the jar. Check the pickles daily to make
 sure they are submerged, and if necessary, top them off
 with the reserved brine. If they begin to float, weigh
 them down with a small heavy object, like a stone wrapped
 in plastic or a small glass jar filled with water. It's OK
 if the liquid clouds slightly. If it becomes dark or
 extremely cloudy, mold or fungus is growing in the jar,
 and the pickles should be discarded.

 After 4 days, taste a pickle. It should be crunchy,
 lightly sour, and salty, with an aroma of garlic and dill.
 If you prefer a more sour flavor, let the pickles ferment
 up to 3 days more, tasting daily. When you're happy with
 the flavor, refrigerate the pickle jar. The pickles will
 remain half-sours for up to 2 weeks. Within a few weeks,
 they will have progressed to fully fermented pickles and
 will keep for years in the refrigerator.

 RECIPE FROM: http://www.finecooking.com

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

MMMMM