CHINGONIZED RECIPE FOR NEW YORK STYLE HALF SOUR KOSHER DILL PICKLES

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RECIPE FOR NY STYLE HALF SOUR KOSHER DILL PICKLES
-----------------------CHINGONIZED-----------------------------------

Maybe 20 or so small to medium (pickling) cucumbers for brining.
Coarse salt ( non iodized salt, often called KOSHER salt ) enough to brine
Large crock or gallon jar for pickling
A dozen + medium cloves of crushed garlic or to your preference
At least 8 sprigs of fresh dill
2 TBSP whole black peppercorns
2 or 3 TBSP mustard seeds
I or 2 whole dried or fresh small red hot chillis
6 bay leaves
2 or 3 grape leaves to put on top of jar
2 TSP turmeric
1 TBSP coriander seed
The crust from a sour dough french bread loaf

Wash the cukes well and soak in cold water for at least 2 hours. Prepare a brine of coarse salt (it is important not to use fine iodized table salt - which results in a slimey, soft pickle) water and the above spices. How much salt is tricky to explain - I just taste the brine until it approximates the saltiness of regular pickle juice, OR according to how you like it. Pack the cucumbers in a large jar with about a dozen medium cloves of crushed garlic.

The secret to Hungarian kovaszos uborka (pickles) is to stick a slice of crusty bread on top of the brine to introduce yeast into the mix. It speeds up the brining process and the New York style half sour cure takes only two days this way. Without the crust, it may take from a week to two weeks.