Hope this helps out my dad and his family are from Germany and my grandma swore by this.
Fermented or Brined Pickles
The brine is very important in pickle making.. Careless making or maintaining brine increases the possibility of soft and unfit pickles. Cucumbers are placed in a salt brine and fermented approx. 6 weeks.
General Directions
1. Use only freshly-harvested, slightly immature, pickling ccucumbers.
2 Weigh Cucumbers. Put in a clean pickling container; cover with 10% brine solution made by
dissolving 1 cup salt in 2 quarts water. Cukes may be added during the first two days of the
curing process if enough brine is added to cover them and salt is in correct amount to maintain
a 10% brine solution.
3. Weight cukes under brine.
4. Store in a coll dark place.
5. Day two, add 1 cup salt for each 5 lb's of cukes. This is necessary to maintain a 10% brine
solution. Salt must be added on top of plate or clesn cloth for even distribution in the brine.
6. Remove scum when it forms on top of the brine. Scum will destory the acidity of the brine and
result in spoilage of the product if not removed.
7. At the end of one week add 1/4 cup salt for each 5 lb,s of cukes. Add salt in the same manner
as No. 5. Repeat adding salt for the next 4 to 5 weeks.
8. Fermentation resulting in bubble formation should continue about 4 weeks. Test for bubbles
by tapping container on the side with your hand. A second test, cut a cuke in half;if it is the
same color throughout and has no noticeable rings or white spots, fermentation is compete.
9. Cukes maybr kept in this 10% brine . No added salt is added after they are cured. The best
temp. is 70 - 75 degrees.
Brined Dill Pickles
10lbs 4 to 6 inch cukes 11/2 cups canning salt
3/4 cup pickling spices 2 cups vinegar
2 or 3 bunches fresh dill 2 gal. water Garlic optional
Wash and drain cukes. Place half the pickling spices and one leyer of dill in a pickling
contained. Add cukes to within 4 inches of the top. Combine salt, vinegar and water;
ladle over cukes. Place layer dill and remaining pickling spices over the top.Add garlic, if
desired. Weight cukes under brine.
Store container in 70- 75 degree place. Remove suum on surface of brine each day. Let
cukes ferment until well flavored with dill and clear throughout. Pickles should be ready for
use in 2-3 weeks.
| Sorry it took me so long to get back to it. Good Luck|