In search of the World's Best Dill Pickles...

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All I know is Aunt Bee's are the worst,lol!

And all I know is what Mr. Kitzel said about hot dogs and pickles: "Pickle in the middle and the mustard on top!"
 
Our local Costco's don't stock the little Polish dills any more. I think the last time I saw them locally was about five years ago. Don't recall trying them, as I prefer the grand size.

Also haven't seen any polish pickles at Walmart, but it would the one thing that would bring me into that store if it was there.

It's much easier to get authentic Mexican or Asian ingredients in this area than Polish, I think.

Last year I got into making my own Kim Chee. It wasn't difficult but definitely took some time. Still, it's been a while and I think I need to make up another batch. Almost as good as the old Vlasic Polski Wyrob. I think I'll add some cucumber slices to the kim chee this time.
 
The major roadblock in the way of putting up pickles around here is the lack of sources for pickling cucumbers. No stores carry them, and the produce stands don't either. Tracking down a lug of pickling cukes is the biggest part of the job.
 
Pickling cucumbers can be hard to find at the major supermarkets, but no so difficult at the smaller veggie-oriented markets.

The local Costco business center often carries small bags of small cucumbers that look like they would make great pickles.
 
Here in Ohio

Here in northeastern Ohio I can buy the plants and grow them myself or I just plant the seeds, Burpee's picklers. We do also have quite a few local farms that sell veggies throughout the summer. Growing them doesn't always yield enough at on time to can them or as my lick runs I don't have the time to can them when they are ready.
 
Rayjay,

My bad. I was in my local Costco today and I found the little Polish dills. Wow, are they tiny!

The label says:

"Wiejske Wyroby"

"OGoRKlzKOPREM"

They are made by Pinnacle Foods Corporation in New Jersey.

I bought a 2-pack (typical Costco mass consumption!) and yes they are good... but I still prefer the big Polish dills. These are very crisp and would make for great appetizers hors d'ouerves.

Maybe Pinnacle sells the big kind too?
 
Polish Dills

Hey Rich (sudsmaster) thanks for getting back to me. I am glad that you tried and liked them. I will check and see if they make the larger ones. But.....they are really nice for lunch, if you just wanted to have a few, ( I am lying,, I eat several they are so good. lol lol

If you like sweet, (Bread and Butter Pickles), I have a family recipe that is made with peppers and onions also, and you put them up in ball jars. Let me know if you would like, and I will send it to you. Or...post here.

BTW: Are you Polish????
 
Ray,

I checked out a local Walmart yesterday and all they carried were regular dills from Vlasic. I'll try a larger store this weekend.

I did some web searching and apparently you can get real whole polish dills under the Pinnacle umbrella with the "Bick's" name... in CANADA!

No, I'm not Polish, but my maternal grandparents came from part of Eastern Europe called Galicia that is now in Poland right on the border with the Ukraine. I once asked one of my uncles about it, and he said that ethnically/linguistically the closest nationality would be Byelorussian, or "White Russian", or "Little Russian", but in doing more research on my own I think it might be a Ruthenian blend, which in itself is a rather vague and flexible term. As far as I can tell, they observed the Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church - not exactly Orthodox or Latin. Anyway, although my mom became rather decidedly 1st gen American and didn't identify much at all with the Russian/Polish heritage, I do remember potato pancakes as one of the comfort foods of home.

At the turn of the century when my maternal grandparents emigrated to the USA, Galicia was a crown colony of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and I've heard that my maternal grandfather was a big fan of the Emperor Franz Joseph. Perhaps it's because at the time Galicia enjoyed its best years under his rule. Their town - Przemysl - was a key strategic location and as such was the focus of many battles over the centuries.
 
thanks for the recipe, we just planted a bunch of cucumber plants. I hate them (I'm the only one in my house that doesn't like them). But, with the magic of vinegar and other ingredients, I love them.

I also like pickled okra, would that recipe work for that?
 
My Mom's Recipe

Here's my mom's recipe, made each year on the '49 Westy stove. Everybody loved them. My sister still puts them up each summer. She used to work for rock show promoter Bill Graham and he absolutely loved them--that is the "Bill" she references below.

Dan, if you prefer, I'll send you the document by e-mail.

ALMA'S DILL PICKLES

One "lug" of medium size pickling cucumbers makes 20 quarts of pickles & takes 3
recipes of brine. Use wide-mouth quart jars.

Order in advance, but bring the cucumbers home the same day you’ll put them up.
They should be dumped into a bucket of ice water, scrubbed with a brush, and then
put into a holding bucket of clean ice water.

Stand the dill in a tall bucket or heavy vase with water if you’ll be keeping it a
while.

Bring to a boil & simmer:
3.5 quarts water
1 pint white vinegar
2/3 cup table or Kosher salt (not iodized salt)
Into sterilized quart jars (run them through the dishwasher), put:
sprigs of fresh dill (flower, stems & leaves)
a clove of garlic (I put 2 or 3 cloves in the batches I made for Bill)
a half a hot chili pepper
a pinch of powdered alum
Then stuff with cucumbers as tightly as possible but down far enough that they'll
clear the lid.
Pour hot brine to fill jars & cover immediately with scalded lids.
You'll hear the lids pop as they seal.
Store in a cool, dark place for at least 3 weeks.
Note: If you want to make pints instead, get small size cucumbers & twice as many
jars. Always use wide mouth for easy filling & taking out!
 
Awesome! I will make these this summer! Thank You! I am planting the seeds at the first of May, and I'm going to grow my own dill this year as well. This is an interesting recipe as it doesn't use a lot of vinegar (usually it's 1:3 or even 1:1! I'll have to not use the hot chili (I'm not compatible)...but everything else looks good!
 
Easy Refrigerator Pickles

Here is a nice easy recipe to make in the summer when you have a lot of cucumbers.

EASY REFRIGERATOR PICKLES

6 cups thinly slice cucumbers, (A mandolin is great for this).
2 medium onions
1 large Pepper, (Green, Red, or Yellow)
½ tsp mustard seed
½ tsp celery seed
½ tsp tarragon
½ tsp salt
Black Pepper to taste.
1 ½ cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar

Layer cucumbers, then onions and peppers in a glass crock (A large Ball jar with a gasket and clamp is good for this, or a bowl with a tight fitting lid.

In a pot mix the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, tarragon, salt and pepper. Boil until dissolved. Cool slightly. Then pour over the cucumber, onion and pepper mixture. Let cool on counter. Seal and refrigerate overnight. Serve

This holds for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator. A nice side dish for dinners.
You can slice the cucumbers thin or thick. However, I think they taste better thinner. You do not have peel the cucumbers either.

ENJOY!
 
Galicia

Hi Rich. I think my moms grandparents were from Galicia.

My grandparents on my dads side came to America in the early 1900's from a part of Poland that was then called Prussia. i keep most of the Polish traditions when I can. Cooking, baking etc. Check out the recipe I posted for the Pickles.

Ray
 
Dan, you might want to try a jar or two with the chili pepper. As I recall, it's just a basic pepper and not a really hot one, probably not even as hot as jalapeno. It really doesn't make the finished product all that hot, just a bit of a bite is all. I don't think the peppers make or break the recipe, so if you don't feel like including them I think the pickles will still turn out fine.

I'll be looking forward to a post from you later in the summer advising on how it all went and how your various recipes turned out.

Ralph
 

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