Half-Sour Pickles

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Rosemary Zwick:

Recently a friend and I went out to eat late one Sunday morning. I was
torn between ordering from the restaurant's breakfast and lunch menus,
and finally asked the server to bring me both a chicken sandwich and an
order of scrambled eggs. When she left, I wondered aloud about whether
I'd just committed a faux pas. "I don't think so," said my friend. "But
I AM wondering which one will come first."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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I love these pickles even more than classic kosher dills. They're about
halfway to being regular pickles because they retain much of the color,
flavor, and texture of fresh cucumbers, and no deli meal is complete
without a half-sour or two.

Half-Sour Pickles

24-36 small cucumbers, scrubbed
6 Tbs (90 ml) kosher salt
3 bay (laurel) leaves, crumbled
6 cloves garlic
6 whole black peppercorns
2 Tbs (30 ml) dried dill
1 Tbs (15 ml) dill seed
10 cups (2.5 L) boiling water

Place the cucumbers in a large bowl or crock. Add the salt, bay leaves,
garlic, peppercorns, dill, and dill seed. Pour the boiling water over
the cucumbers. Remove any scum as it appears. Put a plate on top of the
cucumbers and weigh it down with a brick or other heavy object to keep
the cucumbers submerged in the brine. Cover with a cloth and store in a
dark place for up to a week in warm weather, or for up to 10 days in
cool weather. They will be "half sours" in 3 to 4 days and will continue
to cure and become dill pickles after about 5 days.
Makes about 4 quarts (4 L).
Received on Fri Nov 28 12:54:56 2008