Maybelle Carter’s Home-canned Half-Sour Pickles
MAYBELLE CARTER’S HOME-CANNED HALF-SOUR PICKLES from THE CASH & CARTER FAMILY COOKBOOK – Recipes and Recollections from Johnny & June’s Table
*Taken from The Cash and Carter Family Cookbook by John Carter Cash. Copyright © 2018 by Cash Cabin Enterprises, LLC. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com
Small to medium whole Kirby or other heirloom cucumbers, just enough to fill the jar (uniform size if possible)
4 tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 quarts bottles spring water of another type of water with absolutely no chlorine
2 large bunches fresh dill
Garlic
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
½ tablespoon black peppercorns
3 to 6 oak, grape, or muscadine leaves of 2 tablespoons strawberry leaves
Half-gallon glass Mason or Bell jar
Glass fermentation weight
Cut just the tops of the cucumbers off. In a large bowl mix together the salt with the water and stir until dissolved. Add a third of the dill, garlic, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns to the jar, plus half of the leaves. Then pack in the cucumbers to the halfway mark on the jar. (Packing the cucumbers can be an art; be careful not to bruise the crunchy vegetables in the process.) Add another third of the dill, garlic, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns, and all but one of the leaves. Fill the jar with the remaining cucumbers, to within ½ inch of the top of the jar. Add the remaining dill, garlic, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns, plus one final leaf. Pour the brine solution over the pickles, completely covering them.
Push the fermentation weight on top of the cucumbers, fully submerging them in the brine. (Using the glass wright ensures that none of the cucumbers are exposed to the air where they are vulnerable to bacteria.) Cover the jar with a breathable cloth, like cheesecloth, and secure with a rubber band. Let sit at room temperature for 4 to 5 days; the longer the fermentation, the less crispy the pickle. Once done fermenting, cover the jar with a metal lid, and refrigerate. These pickles can last for months in the fridge.
Makes ½ gallon.