Half-Sour Pickles (Quick, Small-Batch)

Submitted by Cinnamon Turtle

"Half-sour pickles are full-on, sweet/sour/salty goodess. They're pickled for a short time in a lower-salt brine allowing them to retain a fresh crunchiness that some pickles lack. Making small batches like this allows you to eat them up while they're still a the peak of crispy goodness. However, they will keep for a long time submerged in their brine, becoming softer and saltier with time. Cooking time is waiting time. Enjoy! This recipe is from Matthew Rowley via his blog "Rowley's Whiskey Forge.""

 

• Ready In: 48hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 1 quart

ingredients

• 1 quart pickling cucumber
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 cups water (filtered or distilled)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely crushed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon coriander seed, coarsely crushed
• 1 head fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dill seeds
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (Aleppo if you've got it)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

directions

1. Gently scrub the cucumbers under running water to remove dirt and any particularly prominent spines on the nubs. Drain. Trim a thin slice from the blossom end and pack the cukes into a one-quart non-reactive container, such as glass or food-grade plastic. You may cut then into halves, slices, or spears if desired.
2. Stir the salt and water until the salt dissolves. Add the aromatic/seasoning ingredients to the container with the cucumbers. Put the container on a plate to contain any possible dripping once fermentation begins.
3. Pour in enough brine to cover the cucumbers. Push a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag into the container’s aperture, fill it with the remaining brine, and seal the bag. The brine-filled bag serves to weigh down the pickles so they remain submerged and seals off the top of the jar while still allowing bubbles to escape. It is filled with brine instead of water, so any possible leakage will not dilute your solution. Cover with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band to keep out fruit flies or other flying little beasties you may discover are drawn to this stuff.
4. After a few days, the brine may begin giving off tiny bubbles. Keep an eye on it and skim off any white foam that rises to the surface, giving the bag a rinse if necessary. The cucumbers will begin turning darker and to taste, well, brined after just two days. Let them go for a week and they should turn olive green throughout. Remove the bag, skim any new foam, close container fast, and put in the fridge.