EASY PEASY DILL PICKLES

Easy Peasy Dill Pickles image

I love dill pickles; they're cool, crunchy and wonderfully sour... And they are a cinch to make... no special tools required. As a matter of fact, you can whip up a batch of dill pickle pints in thirty minutes or less. And they make excellent gifts to give out during the holidays. So you ready... Let's get into the...

Provided by Andy Anderson !

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

PICKLE BRINE
1 c cider vinegar
1 c filtered water
2 Tbsp salt, kosher variety, or 1 tablespoon if using table salt
1 tsp sugar, granulated variety
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, for kick (optional)
2 tsp dill seed
THE PICKLES
2 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
4 sprig(s) fresh dill weed
1 lb cucumbers (i prefer kirby or persian)

Steps:

1. PICKLE BRINE
2. Gather your ingredients.
3. Thoroughly, clean out the containers that you are going to use for your pickles.
4. Chef's Note: These are not "canned" pickles. These are keep 'em in the refrigerator and eat within a week or two pickles.
5. Place all the brine ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a slow simmer, allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Chef's Note: If you want Bread-and-Butter type pickles add 1-1/2 cups sugar, or honey. Skip this for dill pickles.
7. While the brine is simmering, wash and dry the cucumbers, and cut off the blossom end.
8. Chef's Tip: The blossom end of a cucumber contains enzymes that, over time, cause your pickles to go limp. And if there's anything that I hate... It's a limp pickle.
9. Slice the pickles into spears or ovals... Up to you.
10. Remove the brine solution from the heat and allow it to cool to about 110-115f/43-46c.
11. Chef's Note: You can fully cool the brine down, and then add it to the cucumbers, but then you'll need to put them in the fridge for a couple of days before digging in. If you use really hot brine, you'll wind up making limp pickles... And you KNOW how I feel about limp pickles. 110f/43c is a balance between waiting a few days or a few hours...
12. Divide the dill weed, and garlic between two 1-pint containers. Or whatever container you choose to use.
13. Chef's Tip: Dill isn't all you can make! Swap out the dill seed for tumeric, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, or any other spices that sound good to you.
14. Put as many sliced cucumbers into the jars as can fit without smashing.
15. Pour in the brine, making sure that you cover all the cucumbers, and then allow the containers to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
16. Chef's Tip: A handful of fresh grape, raspberry, oak, blackberry or cherry leaves (these types of leaves supply tannins, which help keep the pickles crispy and crunchy)
17. Chef's Note: They should last in the refrigerator for about two weeks... assuming they don't get gobbled up first.
18. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.