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Solyonye Ogurtsy
Dill Pickles
Solyonye Ogurtsy
The pickled cucumber is a recurrent character in the cast of Russian foods. These sour pickles are so widespread that the hero Chichikov in Gogol's Dead Souls is only mildly surprised to find his hostess's hand reeking of the brine when she proffers it to him in greeting. Actually, the brine is put to as good use as the pickles: for some, it is a sure cure for hangovers; for others, it has a cosmetic effect. They are tart and crisp, as good as any you'll find at a delicatessen. Just be sure to scrub your hands well after dipping into the barrel, lest you begin to resemble Chichikov's illustrious hostess.
Ingredients
8 lb (3.6 kg) unwaxed pickling cucumbers (preferably small ones)
3 teaspoons coriander seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed
8 bay leaves
2 heads of garlic, peeled, the cloves halved (about 18 cloves)
2 fistfuls fresh dill with seeds (about 40 sprigs)
Thick chunk of rye bread (without preservatives)
3 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 lb (450 g) pickling salt
2 teaspoons crushed dried hot pepper (or 10 small hot red peppers)
9½ pints (5.5 litres) water
Method
Wash thoroughly a 13 pint (7 litre) crock or barrel. Wash the cucumbers, making sure that none of them have brown spots or bruises. Place half of the dill on the bottom of the crock. Stand the cucumbers on end in the crock as tightly as they will fit, in a single layer.
Dissolve the pickling salt in the water and pour half of it over the cucumbers. Add half of the garlic, peppercorns, hot pepper, coriander seed, mustard seed and bay leaves. Pack the remaining cucumbers into the crock, standing them on end. Add the rest of the salt water, spices and dill. Place the chunk of rye bread on top. The salt water should completely cover the pickles. Run the blade of a knife down into the crock a few times to make sure there are no pockets of air. If the salt water does not cover the cucumbers, add a little more in the same proportions.
Place a saucer over the pickles, laying it right in the brine, and place a heavy weight on top of the saucer. Then cover the crock loosely with a cloth. Once again, make sure the cucumbers are completely immersed in the brine.
Keep the crock at room temperature, about 22°C/70°F. Every day remove any scum that has formed on top of the brine, each time washing out the cloth, then replacing the saucer, weight and cloth.
Half-sour (malosol'nye) pickles will be ready in 3 to 4 days. For fully soured pickles, wait 8 to 9 days. When the pickles are as sour as you like, pack them into jars along with the brine and spices and refrigerate. They will keep for a couple of months.
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