The old-fashioned way of making dill pickles, fermenting cucumbers in a salt-brine, produces the type of dill pickle commercial picklers call a genuine dill pickle. While you preserve most other kinds of pickles by using acetic acid present in vinegar, this type of dill pickle is preserved by lactic acid produced during a fermentation process that takes place over several weeks.

Here’s what happens. You place cucumbers in a glass or stoneware crock or heavy food-grade plastic container. Cover with a salt brine that contains dill, garlic, spices and a little vinegar. The cucumbers are weighted to keep them below the surface of the brine. Cover the container loosely and allow it to stand at room temperature, preferably between 70 and 75 degrees F.

Natural sugars from the cucumbers begin to go into the brine where salt-tolerant lactic acid bacteria cause natural fermentation. The amount of salt in the brine is very important if fermentation is to go well.

Too little salt lets undesirable bacteria grow rapidly. Too much salt slows down the fermentation process. Yeast and molds can grow on the surface of the brine where air is present, so you need to skim off any surface scum each day. If you don’t, the vegetables may soften, develop off-flavors and spoil.

Place thoroughly washed cucumbers in a clean five gallon non-metallic, food grade plastic, crockery, or glass container and cover with the brine. Use a plate and a weight, or a food grade plastic bag containing 4 1/2 tablespoons salt and 3 quarts water to keep the cucumbers below the surface of the brine.

After about three weeks, the cucumber flesh will become a translucent olive green. At this point, you can pack the pickles in clean jars. Cover with boiling hot brine that they were fermented in, and process pint jars for 10 minutes and quart jars for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner, if you live at altitudes below 1,000 feet. This stops the fermentation and lets you store the pickles at room temperature without risk of spoilage.

Dill Pickle Recipe for the Crock Pot

Ingredients:
8 cups water
1/2 cup pickling salt (coarse)
1 gallon pickling cucumbers 2-3 in length
6 garlic cloves
6 fresh dill heads or sprigs
2 tablespoons pickling spice
2 small hot peppers (fresh or dried)
1 cup white pickling vinegar

Instructions:

1. Prepare The Cucumbers: Scrub and drain cucumbers removing blossom end (the end contain enzymes which can cause rot).
2. Prepare The Solution: Place water, vinegar and salt into crock, stirring to dissolve salt. Add remaining ingredients. Place a weighted plate in the solution to keep cucumbers immersed. Cover crock with a tight fitting plastic bag or plastic wrap.
3. Waiting: Keep the crock in an area where the temperature is about 68 degrees F. Check the contents daily and remove any floating scum. Do this for 7 days.
4. Then Can: Strain spices out of the brine and boil brine for 5 minutes. Immerse glass mason jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. If using self-sealing lids boil these as well for 5 minutes.
5. Into hot (now sterilized) jars distribute fresh spices and the cucumbers from the crock. Pour in the hot brine to within 1/2 of jar top.
6. Wipe jar rim before securing lids.
7. Process jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.

This recipe is from my mex mother-inlaw and it is absolutly the best. In fact I requested the recipe as my christmas present from her. She also gave me her 3 bean salad recipe,enjoy!

Pickled Cucumbers (Bread and Butter Pickles)

7 cups sliced cucumbers, peeled
1 green, yellow, or red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tbs salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar

Mix all ingredients together well in large bowl. Refrigerate over night and mix again (leave for at least 12 hours). Put in jars cover. Lasts 3-6 months. You can half this recipe.

3 Bean Salad

1 can cut green beans, drained
1 can cut yellow (wax) beans, drained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 medium onion sliced, and separated
1 yellow, green or red pepper (yellow and red are better) chopped or sliced

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine all, let stand in frig for at least 12 hours, stir at least 4 times.

This is the best bean salad I have ever had and it’s so simple to make.