Half Sour Pickles Quick Small Batch Recipes

HALF-SOUR PICKLES (QUICK, SMALL-BATCH)

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

HALF SOUR PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers and trim off the blossom end of the cucumber.
• Stir salt and water together in a quart jar, then add cucumbers and seasonings leaving at least 2" of headspace.
• Keep produce submerged in brine with a food safe weight such as wax paper or submerged cabbage leaf.
• Cover loosely with lid (airlock not needed) and let sit in a cool dark place for 7-10 days, or until it reaches your desired sourness, then refrigerate to slow fermentation and store.
• Pickles will become more sour each day they ferment and the brine will turn cloudy.

EAST SIDE NEW YORK HALF-SOUR PICKLES

Steps:

• Fill a 1-gallon jar with cucumbers; set aside.
• In a separate container, mix together water, salt, pickling spices, and garlic.
• Pour over cucumbers and then cover with waxed paper to keep cucumbers in the solution.
• Leave out for 2 weeks without refrigeration!

SOUR PICKLES RECIPE

Steps:

• Pour a quart of water into saucepan. Set it on the stove, and then turn up the heat to medium-high. Stir in the sea salt until it dissolves fully, and then allow the water to cool to room temperature.
• Trim the cucumbers of any tough stems and flower ends, and then place them in bowl. Cover them with cold water to refresh them, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Drain the cucumbers, and then place them into your jar. Drop in the garlic and spices, and then slide the horseradish leaf and dill into the jar. Cover the cucumbers with the saltwater brine. Place a weight over the pickles, and then seal the jar.
• Allow the pickles to ferment at room temperature until they turn from vivid green to a dull green, and smell pleasantly sour - at least 1 week and up to 2 months, depending on how sour you like them.
• Eat the pickles right away, or store them in the fridge up to 1 year.