These Hungarian summer pickles are fermented by the heat of the sun, so they should be made in the summer or in warm climates. It's from Linda Ziedrich's "The Joy of Pickling" (The Harvard Common Press, 1998) 
, and it's one of the easiest ways to pickle cucumbers.
Best of all, you can vary the amount from one quart to as many gallons as you like, and they only take 5 days to mature. Since they are not canned, they will keep, refrigerated, several weeks.
Makes a variable amount of Hungarian Summer Pickles
, and it's one of the easiest ways to pickle cucumbers.
Best of all, you can vary the amount from one quart to as many gallons as you like, and they only take 5 days to mature. Since they are not canned, they will keep, refrigerated, several weeks.
Makes a variable amount of Hungarian Summer Pickles
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- For every quart of 3- to 5-inch pickling cucumbers, you will need:
- .
- 1 tablespoon pickling salt (see below) or kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 fresh head and 1 frond of dill
- About 2 cups water
Preparation:
- Gently wash the cucumbers, and remove the blossom ends. Using a knife, slit the cucumbers through lengthwise just short of the end, so they are still attached.
- Place pickling salt or kosher salt, vinegar, and dill into a narrow-mouth quart jar. Pack cucumbers tightly into jar so they won't float, leaving 1 inch headspace. Pour in water to cover and cap the jar with a nonreactive lid.
- Place the jar outside in the sun or in a sunny window (place a saucer under the jar to catch any drips). Bring the jar in at night. Within 3 days, you should see tiny bubbles, indicating the cucumbers are fermenting. When the tiny bubbles have stopped rising (around 5 days), place in refrigerator. They will keep about 2 weeks, refrigerated.
