Since it's a refrigerated and not a canned recipe, you can do what you like.

Carol

Thanks very much - it's time to experiment with different flavors!

Do a search here for the words 'Alton Brown', and it will also bring up some additional info on fermented or haflf sour pickles ah-la Alton.

Thanks Ken. I did do a search but ended up more confused than ever. Not a kitchen scale to be found around here and I don't know what cup measurement 5.5 ounces of salt by weight is.

The "orange cuke" thread is one that I DIDN'T check out. Dummy me.

According to this recipe, 5-1/2 ounces of pickling salt is approximately 1/2 cup.

Here is a link that might be useful: Good Eats Dill Pickle recipe

and since everyone here seems to trust his recipes

Yeah, I kind of did a double take at that part of your original post but let it pass.

Don't think I'd make that assumption - for several reasons. ;)

Dave

Why?

Well primarily because he is a chef, not a food scientist. So like most chef-based recipes they are cooking recipes, not canning recipes. They are not tested or approved nor intended for any long term storage and that is our primary focus here - food preservation. ;)

I'd agree that his stuff is quite popular over on the many cooking forums here at GW but little of his work is useful when it comes to safe home food preservation.

Dave

Thanks for the reply, Dave. I assumed that his recipes would be better than any old one off the net, being the egghead that he is.

I'm guessing that his fermented dill recipe linked to above wouldn't be safe for me to try?

Guys - both of those recipes go in the fridge when complete. They're not meant for long-term storage and he mentions discarding if pickles get soft or slimy. He's covered the safety bases.

I assumed that his recipes would be better than any old one off the net, being the egghead that he is.

You are right but then we don't use or recommend "any old recipe off the net" when it comes to long term storage/food preservation anyway. We use only approved and tested recipes from USDA/NCHFP, BBB, Ball Complete Book, So easy to Preserve, extension services, and a couple of other books are tested and approved for home canning/preserving.

I am not saying his recipe that you posted is unsafe to make. As Carol and I both said above as long as you keep it refrigerated rather than out on the counter you can do it if you wish however you wish. But understand that it won't keep for long. How long? Can't say - and neither does the recipe apparently.

So it is not meant for long term storage if that is your goal - even in the fridge. Listeria still grows, salmonella isn't killed, molds and other bacteria aren't killed in the fridge. Only canning does that. Only processing allows for any long term storage.

You say you are afraid to try "real canning". Properly processed canned goods based on tested and approved recipes are far safer then anything stored in the fridge. ;)

Dave

Yes, those dillies won't last but 2 days in the fridge around here.

It's just the paranoia factor that kicks in, Dave, I really can't explain it.

(although I have no trouble making crabapple jelly every year and canning that stuff - go figure)

I was planning on weighing the 5.5 ounces of salt, but the granule size can vary when its a dry cup measure. Kosher salt would be a bit more by cup size than the smaller grained pickling salt. Same with the Pickle Crisp, so I weighed the PC and then weighed an equal amount of Calcium Chloride from Bulk Foods and found the measurement to be different, and stated this fact elsewhere here. The link below has a scale for only about $20.00 Great for kitchen use, not only for canning but for weighing flour and other ingredients.

Here is a link that might be useful: Inexpensive digitial kitchen scale

I have made pickles using this recipe twice, but I only used half the sugar and they turned out great!! My son eats them faster than I can make them. Last time I made them, I had no champagne vinegar and just used more cider vinegar to make up the difference. Those were awesome too! I also put one or two jalapeno peppers (cut in half) to spice things up. My wife thinks the pickles are too sweet, so I made a batch without any sugar. She thinks they are better but still too sweet for her taste. Next I will try cutting the cider vinegar with some white vinegar to bring down the sweetness some more.