The Best Ever Deli-Style Sour Pickles Recipe. Ever. Seriously. - Garden Therapy (2024)

Tags canning, Month July Week 3, pickles

If you like old-fashioned fermented sour pickles then you will want to learn this recipe. Real deli-style pickles cost around $7 per jar in my area, but I can make 10 pounds of organic sour pickles for just $20! I did not invent this recipe, but it seems to be the most commonly used methodology out there and it works every time without fail. The pickles are garlicky, crunchy, and delightfully sour.The Best Ever Deli-Style Sour Pickles Recipe. Ever. Seriously. - Garden Therapy (1)

Many years ago I acquired some beautiful old pickling crocks and I was eager to put them to use. After lugging home a giant bag of fresh cukes, I followed a recipe for pickling them in the crock. It was a disaster. My brine turned into a stinky, moldy mess and the cucumbers turned out soggy. I ended up throwing out the whole batch, discouraged.

Each year, I would see ten-pound bags of pickling cucumbers and a bouquet of dill in the arms of people leaving the farmers’ market. Green with envy, I asked the market vendor to please give me some tips on making sour pickles so I could try again. I did my best to remember the recipe and ran home to try it right away. I’m so glad that I did because this is now my go-to pickle recipe that I can’t wait to make year after year.

The Best Ever Deli-Style Sour Pickles Recipe. Ever. Seriously. - Garden Therapy (2)

Ingredients

Makes 10 quart-size jars, adjust recipe accordingly

  • 10 pounds fresh-picked pickling cucumbers
  • 2/3 cup ofkosher salt
  • 16 cups of boiling water (non-chlorinated or filtered)
  • 8 cups cold water (non-chlorinated or filtered)
  • 10 clovesof fresh garlic
  • A bunch of fresh, flowering dill
  • 5 teaspoonscoriander seed
  • 5 teaspoons whole black pepper
  • 10 chili peppers (optional)

Equipment

The Best Ever Deli-Style Sour Pickles Recipe. Ever. Seriously. - Garden Therapy (3)

Make it!

  1. The key to crunchy pickles is to be sure that you are using very fresh cucumbers. They should go from farm to canning jar in no more than 24 hours and it’s essential to keep them chilled if you aren’t pickling right away. Size doesn’t matter for flavor, just for preference.
  2. Fill the sink with cold water and wash the cucumbers well. Remove any discolored, bruised, or soft cucumbers. Be sure to get cucumbers that are not waxed.
  3. To make the brine, bring 20 cups of water to a boil and add 2/3 cup of kosher salt. It’s important to use water that is non-chlorinated or filtered because you don’t want the minerals or chlorine to prevent fermentation.
  4. Stir the salt to dissolve. Set the brine aside to cool while you pack the jars.
  5. A cucumber has two different ends, thestem and the blossom end. Cut the blossom end off the cucumbers, or cut off both if you can’t figure it out. You can also slice the cucumbers if you choose. I like them whole.
  6. Divide the garlic, dill flowers, dill leaves, spices, and optional chili peppers among the jars.
  7. Pack the cucumbers into the jars tightly, leaving enough headspace that the brine will cover the them. The idea is to pack them into to jar so tightly that they won’t float up when the brine is added. You can also press a cucumber lengthwise across the upright pickles to pin them down.
  8. Add the cold water to the brine to cool it down more. It should be room temperature before pouring it on the cucumbers.
  9. When cool, pour the brine over the cucumbers, herbs, and spices. Screw a plastic canning lid loosely onto the jar and set them on a counter to ferment.
  10. “Burp” the pickles daily by loosening the cap and letting the air escape, then replacing the lid (loosely) again.
  11. After three days, check the pickles for flavor. Keep fermenting them on the counter until you get the sourness you like, then move them to the fridge to slow down the process. Consume the pickles within a month.

The Best Ever Deli-Style Sour Pickles Recipe. Ever. Seriously. - Garden Therapy (4)

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Comments

  1. Plastic jars or glass jars? Which are you using?

    Reply

    • Always glass.

      Reply

  2. I am just doing a batch of these today and hoping they work out. Is the refrigerator best for storing them (I can’t each all within a month and want some mid winter and spring). You mentioned in responding above to another comment that they could be stored in a cool place… so I am guessing it does not have to be the frig., correct?

    Reply

    • Hi Terry, yes, the fridge is best after the original ferment.

      Reply

  3. So, you’re saying you have to eat 10 quarts of pickles within a month? I think not.

    Reply

  4. Can I divide this down to a 2 quart recipe?

    Reply

    • yes

      Reply

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The Best Ever Deli-Style Sour Pickles Recipe. Ever. Seriously. - Garden Therapy (2024)

FAQs

What makes deli pickles so good? ›

Still, pickles from the deli, widely known as kosher pickles, taste different because of how they are fermented. Its preparation method started as a tradition some decades ago to preserve food, later brought by Jewish immigrants to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (via History).

How to pickle cucumbers for gut health? ›

Place garlic, leaves, and spices in the bottom of the quart jar. Add the cucumbers, packing them tightly. Pour the salt water brine over top, leaving an inch of headroom (there will be salt water left over). Weigh down the cucumbers, if need be, so they are submerged under the brine.

What makes a pickle more sour? ›

Sour pickles are one of the pleasantly sour types of pickles that are actually lacto-fermented instead of pickled. This means that there is no vinegar in their brine like in a dill pickle brine, and instead solely relies on salt, water, and time to achieve the desired flavor.

Why are half sour pickles so good? ›

The half sours specifically remind Ari of a fresh cucumber, intensified—there's a light brine, not a lot of sugar, a satisfying crunch, and a lot of salt.

What pickle brand do most restaurants use? ›

About Hausbeck Pickle Company. Founded in 1923 by Charles E. Hausbeck, Hausbeck Pickle Company produces pickles and peppers for fast food restaurants, such as Subway, Burger King, Sonic, Domino's Pizza and Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC.

What is the secret of pickles? ›

Here are 10 tips for crunchy pickles:
  • Choose Freshly Harvested Cucumbers. As soon as cucumbers are picked, the softening process begins. ...
  • Use the Right Cucumber Varieties. ...
  • Cut off the Ends of Cucumbers. ...
  • Soak Cucumbers in Ice Water. ...
  • Use Calcium Chloride. ...
  • Add a Source of Tannin. ...
  • Use Enough Salt. ...
  • Don't Add Bacteria.

Why do you soak cucumbers in salt water before making pickles? ›

This salt treatment draws water out of the cucumbers and flavors them, so it's critically important. After layering or mixing in plenty of sea salt, I cover the salted cukes with ice cubes and a tea towel and forget about them for a few hours.

Is it OK to eat pickled cucumbers everyday? ›

While pickles should be consumed in moderation due to their high sodium content, they may have some health benefits: Probiotic effects: Naturally fermented pickles and their juice contain good bacteria, which when ingested in moderation can help with digestion and immune health.

Which pickles have the most probiotics? ›

So, what you want to look for are unpasteurized fermented pickles, which can be found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores, often in the cheese section. It is always good to double-check the label as well. If vinegar or pasteurized is indicated on the label, chances are probiotics are absent.

What is the most sour pickle? ›

Our Warheads flavored pickle is an extreme sour pickle! No sugar coating here! We packed all the sour flavor we could into this WARHEADS Extreme Sour Dill Pickle, built for super sour fanatics. Available in Jumbo size.

What is the best acid for pickles? ›

Composition of the pickling solution

For this reason, hydrochloric acid is mainly used for pickling at room temperature, because temperatures of up to 70 °C can occur in closed systems.

What makes pickles taste better? ›

The taste of your pickled vegetables can be greatly changed by toasting spices. This is because toasting spices cause the natural oils of a spice to be released, which in turn amplifies the flavors. Start the toasting process by placing a dry skillet over medium heat, then add your spices to the pan.

What are deli style pickles? ›

Usually in New York delis they are large garlic dill pickles, fermented in brine, mustard seed, and bay leaf.

Why do I crave sour pickles? ›

If you're not getting enough salt in your diet, or if you've depleted your sodium levels, you might experience intense cravings for pickles and other high-sodium foods. But don't go overboard: on average, 1 dill pickle contains about 15% of your recommended daily sodium intake!

Do you have to burp half sour pickles? ›

To the jar of cucumbers add the spices, bay leaves, garlic, and dill. Cover with the water and leave somewhere cool and dry at room temperature for 7-14 days. Making sure to open the container every few days to “burp” the container and let excess gas out.

Are deli pickles good for you? ›

Pickles are a good source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, Zumpano adds. Vitamin A supports healthy vision and immune function, per the Cleveland Clinic. Vitamin K is good for the bones, says Largeman-Roth, and plays a key role in blood-clotting and wound-healing.

What flavor are deli pickles? ›

Bread and butter pickles toss sugar and celery seed in the mix. And deli pickles? We bet you'll taste some garlic, a lot of salt, and maybe some chili pepper.

Do delis make their own pickles? ›

This will depend on your deli and on your particular pickle preferences. Some Delis may make their own pickles while many buy pickles from a variety of vendors.

Why are refrigerated pickles better? ›

Even in two hours, pickles' texture can start to change. Warm temperatures cause pickles to soften and lose their crunchy texture. Keeping them cool keeps them crisp. Fridge-cold temperatures prevent mold and yeast from forming in the pickle jar, but other factors can affect the contents, too.

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