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Recipe: Cherry Leaf Pickles

Preserving - Pickles, Relishes
I am copying and pasting these recipes. I have not tried it, but I also know that some use grape leaves instead of cherry leaves. We recommend using a glass gallon jar, or ceramic crock, or a food grade plastic container, such as Rubbermaid. Not a storage or trash can type of plastic. A bucket from a restaurant that has had food in it will work, too. You get more spoilage with quart jars.

One is for sour and half-sour pickles as traditionally made in Russia. These are what all those deli pickles are striving to be. The recipe calls for a lot of cucumbers, but you can scale it. The other recipe is an accelerated version, if you want to make them really fast.

TRADITIONALLY-MADE SOUR AND HALF-SOUR PICKLES

Note: You get the best results by selecting very fresh cucumbers, picked on the same day, if possible, or, failing that, the day before. They shouldn't be kept dry for any length of time - put them in iced water at once. That way, cucumbers won't be hollow. Also, traditionally, cucumbers are pickled in oak barrels which, together with various leaves and sometimes even tree bark, add some tannin to the brine, making the cucumbers crisp and crunchy.

10 kg (22 pounds) cucumbers, 4 to 7 cm (1.6 to 2.8 inches) in length, cleaned and washed
2 heads of garlic, divided in cloves and peeled, OR some shavings of horseradish root
currant leaves, if you can find them
oak leaves, ditto
cherry leaves, ditto
(Some people add a couple of horseradish leaves, too)
fresh dill
coarse (kosher) non-iodized salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Find a suitable receptacle, such as a non-reactive bucket, a wooden barrel or cask, or large glass jars. Layer the leaves on the bottom, then the cucumbers in the upright position, packing them tightly, then add some garlic cloves. Then put on the layer of leaves again, then cucumbers, garlic and dill and repeat all of the above until the receptacle is filled. The last layer should be leaves and dill.

Dissolve kosher salt in water (1 tablespoon per 1 litre (1.1 quart)), and fill the receptacle to the top. It is easier to dissolve salt in hot water, which has to be cooled afterwards. Cover the receptacle with a wooden cover or with a plate, put a clean cloth on top and weigh it down with a heavy stone or something. Keep in a cool place.

The cucumbers will be ready in 1-2 weeks and will keep for a long time. After one week, they will be so-called malosolnyye (lightly salted or half-sour) pickles - which many people love. After a month, they will be completely salted (full sour). From time to time, check the wooden cover or plate and the cloth for signs of mould and clean and wash them accordingly.

In a town dwelling, it would perhaps be better to use sealed glass jars of 1-2 quart capacity. In this case, pack the ingredients tightly in jars, fill with the salty brine and seal. Put in a cool place for a week. During this time the brine will ferment and some of it may escape. This is not a problem - just pour off a bit of the brine, wipe the jar dry and seal again. Afterwards just keep the jars in a cool place.

FAST VERSION:
2 kg (4.4 pounds) small young cucumbers
optionally, 3 to 4 currant leaves, or 3 to 4 oak leaves, or both (then fewer of each kind)
optionally, a couple of horseradish or cherry leaves
optionally, some freshly grated horseradish root
a large sprig or two of dill
7 to 8 garlic cloves
salt (80-120 g (2.8-4.2 oz) per 2 litres (2.1 quarts) of water)

Put cucumbers in ice-cold water and refrigerate for a few hours (this step is optional).

Cut off both ends of cucumbers and place them into a non-reactive container, layering the leaves and horseradish (if used), as well as the dill and the garlic in between.

Dissolve the salt in boiling water and taste it to make sure it's pleasantly salty. Pour the hot solution over cucumbers, making sure they are fully covered (if they float, weigh them down with something).

The cucumbers will be ready to eat in 4 hours to 2 days, depending on your preference. Once you deem them to be ready, refrigerate them to slow down any further development. They will stay at that stage for a week or so.

Another note, the part about hollow pickles, they are only caused by lack of water when they are growing, not as the person said.
MsgID: 206257
Shared by: Linda Lou, Wa
In reply to: ISO: cherryleaf pickles
Board: Canning and Preserving at Recipelink.com
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Reviews and Replies:
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  phyllis Illinios
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  Linda Lou, Wa
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