Homemade Dill Pickles

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 113.

These are actually pretty good.  I admit that I've eaten several by themselves straight from the container.

Makes about 1 quart.

4 Kirby cucumbers
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh dill
2 Tbs. sugar
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3/4 tsp. dill seeds
1 tsp. whole mustard seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds

Slice the cucumbers into 1/4" thick slices.  Put the cucumber slices in a medium bowl that has a fitted lid or in another lidded container that is large enough to hold them.

Combine 1 cup water, the vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, dill seeds, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds in a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cook until sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pour the mixture over the cucumbers, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week, stirring the mixture at least once during that time.  Drain before serving, discard the liquid and aromatics.

Notes:
- Kirby cucumbers are a type of pickling cucumber; they're short and bumpy, what you imagine as your typical pickle.  If you can't find them at the store, try the farmer's market.  If you don't have one or don't feel like making the effort, just use whatever cucumbers you can find.  Try to find small ones.  I used two English/hot house cucumbers.
- I used 3/4 cup white vinegar and 2 Tbs. cider vinegar.
- Stir the pickles?  I shook mine.  In fact, I've shaken them several times in less than two days.  It's kind of fun.
- Because we're not eating the pickles all at once, I'm storing them in the liquid in the fridge.  I don't see a reason to get rid of the liquid until you're done with the pickles.

Spicy Refrigerator Dills

From AllRecipes.com, submitted by FairyFahrenholz.


Prep: 15 min. / Total: 10 days 2 hours 15 minutes

4 (3 to 4 inch long) pickling cucumbers
2/3 cup water
½ cup + 1 Tbs + 1 tsp. white vinegar
½ cup chopped fresh dill weed
2 Tbs. + 2 tsp white sugar
2 ¾ cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. pickling spice
½ tsp. dill seed
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 1/3 sprig fresh dill weed

In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, pickling spice, dill seed, and red pepper flakes. Stir, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until the sugar and salt dissolve.
Remove the cucumbers to three 1 ½ pint wide mouth jars, placing 4 cucumbers into each jar. Ladle in the liquid from the bowl to cover the cucumbers. Place a sprig of fresh dill into each jar and seal with lids. Refrigerate for 10 days before eating. Use within 1 month.

Original recipe quantities:

12 (3 to 4 inch long) pickling cucumbers
2 cups water
1 ¾ cups white vinegar
1 ½ cups chopped fresh dill weed
½ cup white sugar
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ Tbs. coarse salt
1 Tbs. pickling spice
1 ½ tsp. dill seed
½ tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 sprigs fresh dill weed