Okay I am sure others here can give you good advice on making a sour pickle at home. I have not tried it myself, I think what you want is arefridgerator pickle though. However there is a really good brand that you can get. At my local store they are in the refriderated kosher section. The brand is Ba tampte.

-Robin

Here is a link that might be useful: Ba Tampte Pickles on Amazon

Thank you for your prompt answer. I just looked at the link you provided on Amazon, however they show half sour and I only like the full sour ones. Do they have those as well? I find 1/2 sour everywhere.

Add Pickle Crisp to each jar and only process at a max of about 5 minutes for quarts. This might be a short process time, but because the sours are NOT dill, but just plain sour, they contain totally 5% distilled vinegar and salt to taste, with no added water. Sours are also called vinegar pickles. Some still prefer to add a small amount of alum to them, to give them a bit more 'pucker'. alum in this small amount isnt harmful to your health, as its still used in many commercial pickles. Half sours, cannot be made into home canned pickles as they start out in a salt brine and are only slightly fermented, then refrigerated, so they contain very little acid. The last time I made sours was two years ago and after about one year they do get fairly soft. Those sold in the deli's are usually fairly fresh cured for a few weeks prior to serving, and usually never go beyond about 6 months, so they tend to be a bit more crisp. I also have seen some single sour pickles packed in vinegar brine, and sealed in heavy gauge clear plastic bags, in the deli section.

they do have a full sour as well. The only problem I have with them is I can eat so many. Depending on how far you are from NYC they may be harder to find.

-Robin

Thank you, maybe I am confused. I've always called sour pickles - Dill Pickles and maybe I am talking about Sour Pickles. Do Sour Pickles also have dill in the mix. I do like the dill smell. The only thing I am really looking for is the salty sour taste and a crisp pickle with dill and possibly garlic.

If you're looking for "sour dill pickles like the type you'd get at a NY deli", I think you are looking for fermented dills. There has been more than long thread about those on this forum recently. If you search you will find lots of discussion.

Jim

I agree with Jim on this one. I think for the flavor you want you're going to need a traditional fermented recipe.

As far as your soft pickles are concerned, if they're not just soft but mushy or even slimy, then definitely discard. If they're merely somewhat soft but the flavor is OK, you might consider taking some jars, grinding the pickles up and using as dill relish, either plain or mixed with mustard and mayonnaise.

There are many reasons why pickles can be soft. The processing time is the least of it. The condition of the cucumbers, the preparation of the cucumbers, the water, the strength of the brine, the frequency of skimming, the temperature of the room where they're curing are all factors.

While I like crisp pickles, crispness is not my main criterion. Flavor is. Therefore, I avoid pickle crisp or any commercial spice blends or "pickle kits." Pickle Crisp to me leaves an aftertaste. Alum should not be necessary either but if used it's only helpful with fermented pickles.

I've appended one thread about soft pickles which discusses the issue more thoroughly, but if you enter "soft pickles" (without quotes) in the search window on the main Harvest Forum page, you'll get all kinds of threads. They can be a veritable pickle primer.

Here's a document from the University of Wisconsin which also contains a wealth of information about pickle making:
Homemade Pickles and Relishes .

I hope this helps. Don't give up. Making pickles can be very satisfying but no question there is a learning curve.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: What Went Wrong with My Pickles?

Robin, I will look for them in my local stores, thanks!

Jim, I looked at the page for fermented pickles and as you say, there is lots written. I will continue when I have more time, but as you said there, they kept getting away from the original topic. You sound very knowledgeable on the subject. Can you share a recipe and method with me for fermented dills/sours?

Thank you

I was about to add that there are several basic types of pickles and the methods of making them are different, so it's important to not get confused and try to apply any directions from one kind to another. But I see that you already discovered that.

Below is a link which is a good starting point for fermented dills because I think the directions are clear. Then do some Googling to find more.

I hope you have lots of beginners luck as I did with my first batch. They were terrific. Since then, I have had a cople of failures. It's all in the game.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic Dill Pickles

Usually the sour pickles I see in a deli are colored with a little bit of tumeric, which gives them a yellow color. They sometimes add a few pepper corns. For a dill pickle, I prefer using all vinegar with no added water, and sometimes use the prepackaged mixes from Ball and Mrs. Wages as a base for the dill flavor. I add fresh dill and cut up garlic to each jar as well. The half sours I make are salt brine type and have a small amount of vinegar to halt further fermentation while in the fridge. These also contain some of these same dill pickle mixes, as well as fresh garlic and dill.

Fermented pickles have a recent thread here as well.

Thank you all for your time. After reading more I hope I have the nerve to try again.

There's a great pickle book called the Joy of Pickling (or Pickles. Sorry I'm not at home to check.). Many recipes are brined pickles, and I've made them in qt jars, half gallons, crocks and plastic gallon jars. I've varied the spices some--which you can do with pickles--and I've loved them all. The biggest job in the whole thing is the daily skimming of the scum on the top of the jars. But the pickles are absolutele delish.

Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich. I agree. It is a great book.

The Wisconsin Extension brochure I provided a link for is also very helpful for information on fermentation, quick pickles and trouble-shooting.

I use both these sources all the time.

Carol

I am using a crock for my pickles, and it is weeping a brown water through the crock after 3 to 4 days of brining.. Is this normal? or Do i have a bad crock.

Any help is appreciated...

For those of you who would like deli-style Kosher dill pickles, they are not processed and must be kept refridgerated after fermenting. My grandmother made them by washing Kirby Cukes and placing them in sterilized jars. she then added some pickling spice, a few smashed garlic cloves, and a bunch of fress dill. She covered with a brine of very salty water using kosher salt and these would sit on the counter for a few days.
After three days or so they were half sour, after six or seven full sour. They must then be kept in the refridgerator.