So called “half sour pickles” are little cucumbers that have spent no more than 2-3 days in brining solution. Because of the short brining time the cucumbers don’t get completely pickled, though don’t taste raw anymore either. Half sour pickles are the best of the two worlds - they retain perfect fresh crunch, sweetness and, sometimes, natural green color too, while acquiring light pickled taste and saltiness. They are a perfect chaser for a shot of ice cold vodka!
You will need:
- about 20-25 small Persian/Lebanese or pickling cucumbers (about 3-4 inches each)
- 4 pints water
- 4 Tbsp salt
- ¼-1/2 tsp dried dill seeds (if you can find fresh dill umbrellas, it would be even better)
- 4-5 small twigs of dill, tops and stems separated
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Optional:
- a small piece of horseradish (I took ½ inch long piece from a root about 1 ¼ inch in diameter)
- currant leaves (are deemed to keep the cukes crunchy and look cute in a jar, but I consider the former a myth)
Bring water to a boil and add salt, dill seeds and fresh dill stems. Stir until all the salt crystals get dissolve. Let the water cool to a room temperature. Some people pour hot brine over cucumbers right away, but if you want to preserve their crunch and natural color longer use lukewarm or cold brine.
Put garlic, horseradish, currant leaves, and fresh dill tops on the bottom of a wide jar or glass container (plastic, stainless steel or enameled vessel will work too). Trim off both ends of each cucumber and put into the container.
Pour the chilled brine over the cucumbers so that they get completely submerged. The upper fellas will tend to float so put n inverted plate on top to prevent them from doing so. Cover the container with a piece of cheesecloth or plastic wrap and leave at the room temperature overnight. The next day taste the brine – if it feels too salty, dilute it a bit with water. If it’s too bland, add some salt. Transfer the container to the refrigerator.
As a rule, half sour pickles are ready in about 2 days, more or less depending on the cucumbers size. You can keep them for a while in the fridge, but they are so good that as a rule they are gone quite quickly.
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