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Post by divtal on Aug 9, 2019 19:32:01 GMT
Well, actually, you can have as many as you want. "Take two," refers to my second try at Deli-Style dill pickles. I was at one of my indie produce stores, today, and the pickling cucumbers beckoned to me ... "try again." My first shot at this was about 5 years ago, and shared the disappointing results on the "F&D" board. I was hoping for those nice crisp dill pickles that you buy, individually, from a jar that sit's on the deli counter. Mine were mushy, although the flavor was much better than the texture. Back then, some posters suggested that any recipe for crispy pickles should involve a boiling of the brine. That was borne out by a few videos that I watched, so that's going into the mix. The recipe that I followed didn't involve any cooking/heating. (Chef John's recipe below, calls for briefly heated brine "just to take the chill off." I'm going to boil it) Other videos recommended the use of bay leaves, grape leaves or oak leaves that have "rounded" edges, as having some chemical agent that promotes "crisping." I'll use bay. I'm wondering if there are any veteran pickle-makers, or children/grandchildren of great pickle makers, here, who have tips about the "old ways." I would welcome any suggestions. foodwishes.blogspot.com/search?q=pickles
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Post by staggerstag on Aug 9, 2019 21:13:33 GMT
Nothing worse than a pickle that's mushy. About six months ago we were at this fish and chip restaurant in Waterloo (Fishcoteque, Waterloo Road) and I ordered a gherkin as a side. But when it arrived it had been sliced into thin layers. I expected a whole gherkin. As it was I got no crunch, no juices, no flavour. You're supposed to bite into these things and feel the explosion of tang on your taste buds not fork a little limp slither from the plate. I have not been back.
I'm afraid I'm not a pickle-maker but very good luck to you in your quest and I hope someone here can pass on some tips to you.
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Post by divtal on Aug 9, 2019 21:57:14 GMT
Thank you, Stag. I can't claim the title of pickle-maker, either, at this point. I hope to get started (maybe) over the weekend ... but, certainly, by early next week.
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Post by koskiewicz on Aug 10, 2019 14:43:36 GMT
IMO, good pickles are an art form. I prefer Vlasic brand and specifically, their gherkins and their Dill kosher style pickles.
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Post by divtal on Aug 10, 2019 17:09:03 GMT
Vlasic is said/advertised to be the crunchiest pickles. That's what I'm aiming for.
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on Aug 10, 2019 17:46:04 GMT
Vlasic is said/advertised to be the crunchiest pickles. That's what I'm aiming for. Sounds great to me!
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Post by divtal on Aug 10, 2019 20:24:07 GMT
I looked into "Kirby" cucumbers, that Chef John suggested. Wiki says that they're sold with pickling in mind. They're not waxed, so the pickling brine is better absorbed. And, they have a narrower "seed core," than other cukes, so there's a deeper fleshy area to become crunchy, between the rind and the soft core. I don't know if I used Kirby cukes, last time.
One of my indie produce stores sells them, but they're huge. I'll look for some smaller ones.
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Post by suzi on Aug 11, 2019 5:11:20 GMT
IMO, good pickles are an art form. I prefer Vlasic brand and specifically, their gherkins and their Dill kosher style pickles. It is so much easier to buy them in the jars at the store, and the store bought are usually crisp and you have none of the guesswork in trying to make batch of batch of flops.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 11, 2019 5:26:04 GMT
divtalA lot of pickle success or failure depends on your water. You can do everything right and they may still come out wrong. I had given up on making dills and go for sweetish refrigerator pickles. No cooking and they keep well. The final BIG batch (made typically just before first frost) last until spring with no loss of texture or flavor. butI read about a commercial product called Ball: Pickle Crisp Granules. I have not tried them (yet) but here is the link to reviews on Amazon. The Crisp stuff was mentioned on one of the PBS cooking shows ..possibly Cook's Kitchen (?)
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Post by divtal on Aug 11, 2019 19:28:31 GMT
Thanks, Bat. That's something that I forgot to mention from the various recipes/videos that I've seen. For the brine, the water should not be chlorinated, and the salt should not be iodized.
I'll buy the water, as ours is chlorinated.
As for the salt, most specifically recommend is sea salt. A couple emphasize "not iodized." That's a bit confusing, as (my understanding is that) sea salt IS iodized, by Mother Nature, as a result of being from "the sea." Perhaps the manufacturers' addition of iodine to a salt is excessive. Anyway, I'm not concerned about that. I live about a mile from the Pacific ocean, and I don't have any salt that has been iodized by anyone other than Mother Nature.
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Post by divtal on Aug 11, 2019 19:48:58 GMT
IMO, good pickles are an art form. I prefer Vlasic brand and specifically, their gherkins and their Dill kosher style pickles. It is so much easier to buy them in the jars at the store, and the store bought are usually crisp and you have none of the guesswork in trying to make batch of batch of flops. Suzi, I agree with you on the convenience. And, I'm not sure that I will persevere, beyond this attempt. Things come into play: - I'm no Julia, but I like to fiddle around in the kitchen. - My previous attempt was a disappointment, leaving a nagging beckoning for a "do over." - I'm from the leading edge of the "Baby Boom." Given my average pickle-intake, if this batch is a success, it'll be a lifetime supply. I can, probably, leave the remainders in my Will. Otherwise, I continue to buy pickles from the deli.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 12, 2019 2:29:40 GMT
divtal re: water fwiw .. I have used both chlorinated and non- water and still no crunch with the dills.... sweet pickles come out just fine tho … why ? no idear ! Vlasic fan for dills !
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Post by Jayman on Aug 12, 2019 19:17:16 GMT
Nothing worse than a pickle that's mushy. About six months ago we were at this fish and chip restaurant in Waterloo (Fishcoteque, Waterloo Road) and I ordered a gherkin as a side. But when it arrived it had been sliced into thin layers. I expected a whole gherkin. As it was I got no crunch, no juices, no flavour. You're supposed to bite into these things and feel the explosion of tang on your taste buds not fork a little limp slither from the plate. I have not been back. I'm afraid I'm not a pickle-maker but very good luck to you in your quest and I hope someone here can pass on some tips to you. i agree. Nobody likes a soggy pickle!
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Post by Sarge on Aug 13, 2019 3:27:47 GMT
Claussen pickles are the best I've had, they are nice and crunchy. I make refrigerator pickles a lot. Tried sour pickles but none of us liked them.
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on Aug 14, 2019 18:08:34 GMT
It is so much easier to buy them in the jars at the store, and the store bought are usually crisp and you have none of the guesswork in trying to make batch of batch of flops. Suzi, I agree with you on the convenience. And, I'm not sure that I will persevere, beyond this attempt. Things come into play: - I'm no Julia, but I like to fiddle around in the kitchen. - My previous attempt was a disappointment, leaving a nagging beckoning for a "do over." - I'm from the leading edge of the "Baby Boom." Given my average pickle-intake, if this batch is a success, it'll be a lifetime supply. I can, probably, leave the remainders in my Will. Otherwise, I continue to buy pickles from the deli. how did they turn out?
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Post by divtal on Aug 14, 2019 19:17:42 GMT
Ah, Nuts, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I have all of the herbs, but I need to find 2 jars ... 1/2 gallon for the dill, herbs and cukes & 1 quart to mix the brine ... and, I won't buy the cukes, until I'm ready to bring them home, and "do this thing." I looked for the big jar that I used for the last batch of pickles, but I must have gotten tired of it sitting around, and taken it to the Salvation Army. Maybe tomorrow, or Friday. I think I'll start at the Salvation Army, where I bought the last one. If they don't have anything, I'll hit the supermarkets. This is getting close to the time of year that canning/pickling is most popular. I'll report, as the project proceeds.
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on Aug 17, 2019 15:32:31 GMT
Ah, Nuts, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I have all of the herbs, but I need to find 2 jars ... 1/2 gallon for the dill, herbs and cukes & 1 quart to mix the brine ... and, I won't buy the cukes, until I'm ready to bring them home, and "do this thing." I looked for the big jar that I used for the last batch of pickles, but I must have gotten tired of it sitting around, and taken it to the Salvation Army. Maybe tomorrow, or Friday. I think I'll start at the Salvation Army, where I bought the last one. If they don't have anything, I'll hit the supermarkets. This is getting close to the time of year that canning/pickling is most popular. I'll report, as the project proceeds. nice! keep us posted! spice house just sent email, huge pickle spice sale--i'm in! going to try this recipe... www.thespicehouse.com/recipes/turmeric-dill-picklesINGREDIENTS 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar 1 cup hot water 2 TBL sugar 2 TSP kosher salt 1/2 TSP mustard seeds 1 TSP dill seeds 1/8 TSP turmeric 1 lb pickling cucumbers, sliced into coins 1 clove fresh garlic, smashed PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS n a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seed, dill seed, and ground turmeric. Stir ingredients until salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Place crushed garlic in the bottom of jar, add cucumber slices, and fill jar with brining liquid up to the threads of the jar. Allow pickles to sit for at least 24-hour for full flavor. Enjoy! Place pickles in refrigerator and allow them to sit for at least 24-hour for best flavor. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seed, dill seed, and ground turmeric. Stir ingredients until salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Let liquid cool to room temperature. Place crushed garlic in the bottom of a large canning jar, add cucumber slices, and fill with brining liquid up to the threads of the jar. Place pickles in the refrigerator and allow them to sit for at least 24-hours for best flavor. Enjoy these pickles on sandwiches, hamburgers, or simply as a snack!
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Post by divtal on Aug 17, 2019 18:51:02 GMT
Thank you, Nuts! There's a dizzying array of recipes, out there. I'm learning a lot. I think I'm going to leave them whole, instead of slicing them.
I appealed to the Google Gods, a couple of days ago, for pickling jars. Ace hardware stores carry them, but the two near me don't have the 1/2 gallon, that I want to use. I'll be out-and-about tomorrow, and will check a couple of places nearer to the downtown area.
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Post by koskiewicz on Aug 18, 2019 17:08:19 GMT
This thread reminds me of the Andy Griffith episode when aunt Bea made that dreadful batch of pickles for a pickle contest.
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Post by divtal on Aug 18, 2019 23:38:41 GMT
I don't recall that. I'll have to see if I can find it. However ... I'll not be deterred from another try!!
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