Enjoy!! Let me know what you think! Half Sour Pickles 5 Kirby Cucumbers ½ tsp coriander seeds ½ tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp black peppercorns Few sprigs of fresh dill 3 bay leaves 6 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup sea salt 6 cups water Additional coriander seeds and peppercorns to add on top Optional – dried chili’s for a bit of heat. I recommend just one! Wash Cucumbers (you can quarter them now or leave them whole, it’s a matter of preference) Dissolved sea salt in water Grind all dry ingredients (coriander, mustard seeds, peppercorns and 2 of the bay leaves) Put the cucumbers in the jar with a few sprigs of dill Put minced garlic in jar, then spices (and optional chili) Add additional whole coriander seeds and peppercorns and remaining bay leaf Add the salt water mixture, making sure cucumbers are completely covered Put in the fridge and let them sit for at least 4 days

If you are sure you left the salt out and if they are less than 48 hours old - add the salt. Dave

Commonsense, Avoid the sea salt. It does contain minerals that can make the taste of a salt brine based pickle less than appealing. Pickling salt is mined and refined to be as pure salt, with no anti-caking additives or minerals etc. When I make a HALF SOUR, salt brine based, pickle, I do NOT boil anything. I add the dill weed and seed heads and garlic to the empty jars, pack the jars with cukes that have been washed and BOTH end tips removed. The mixture sits on the kitchen counter for up to two days, THEN a dash of vinegar (about 2 tablespoons per half gallon jar) is added and its placed in the fridge. Yes, you are way off with your technique, especially by not using the proper salt, no matter how pure it is still sea salt, which is just sea water that has been dried. If you want the flavor of dill, you should not add other spices. A pickling spice mix at best, is for use when you don't care too much about the combination of flavors, but are wanting a sweeter spicy pickle. Regular pickling spice mixes do poorly with a mostly water based brine, as many of the spices contain essential oils that 'bloom' when they get cooked or mixed with an acidic vinegar. For a truely dill flavored pickle, you can also try using a prepackaged mix from Ball and/or Mrs. Wages. These mixes contain the extracts and spices and salt alone, and usually need no additional spices. Here, I use them for my half sours and also do add fresh dill seed heads and dill weed, along with cut up fresh garlic cloves. Following the proper methods will give you a safer and more tasty product with no 'surprises'. Also, tasting the brines prior to adding to fresh cukes, when used as a fresh curing agent as opposed to a heat canned product, will give you a better insight as to the end result which is obviously the taste you want to get. I don't think they can be harmful if left out for a day or two, but because you may not have followed some, or all of the 'rules, its a 50:50 chance if left out unrefrigerated.

Hank, OK, below is a quicker, easier recipe for refrigerator cucumbers. Making crock pickles is a lost art, I think. I don't even have a pickle crock any more. I think that larger cucumbers make more watery, soggy pickles which is why most recipes call for pickling cucumbers of a certain size. Dawn REFRIGERATOR CUCUMBERS 4 cups of cucumbers, peeled and sliced thinly 1 medium sweet onion, like Texas 1015Y/Texas Supersweet or Vidalia 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 tablespoon salt 1/2 teaspoon celery seed Place your thinly sliced onions in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt. Place prepared cucumber slices in the bowl on top of the onions. Stir the two vegetables together. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and celery seeds. Pour this mixture over the onion/cucumber mix. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours before eating.