The Best Ever Deli-Style Sour Pickles Recipe. Ever. Seriously. - Garden Therapy (2024)

FAQs

What makes deli pickles so good? ›

Crunchy, garlicky kosher deli pickles traditionally get their distinctive flavor, not from vinegar, but from a salt-water brine. Artisanal fermented pickles can offer gut-healthy probiotics. And would any grilled cheese sandwich be complete without a pile of bread & butter chips on the side?

Through the process of fermentation, without vinegar, these pickles achieve a tangy flavor and crunchy texture. Half sours, which have a milder taste, ferment for roughly six to eight weeks. For fully sour pickles, the cucumbers are fermented twice as long for a lip-puckering tartness.

"Pickles are about vinegar and salt, not sweetness," says Perry. Yes, you should have some sugar, but be wary of recipes that call for more than a ¼ cup of sugar. Your brine should lean salty, not syrupy. If you just use vinegar in your brine, it will be way too sharp, warns Perry.

Sour pickles are one of the pleasantly sour types of pickles that are actually lacto-fermented instead of pickled. This means that there is no vinegar in their brine like in a dill pickle brine, and instead solely relies on salt, water, and time to achieve the desired flavor.

The spices involved can vary a lot, too. Dill, mustard, cloves, bay leaves, horseradish, allspice, and garlic are all popular choices.

Our Warheads flavored pickle is an extreme sour pickle! No sugar coating here! We packed all the sour flavor we could into this WARHEADS Extreme Sour Dill Pickle, built for super sour fanatics. Available in Jumbo size.

Because of the short brining time the cucumbers don't get completely pickled, though don't taste raw anymore either. Half sour pickles are the best of the two worlds - they retain perfect fresh crunch, sweetness and, sometimes, natural green color too, while acquiring light pickled taste and saltiness.

You should use no more than 1/4 cup of sugar in your pickling solution. White granulated sugar is most commonly used. Brown sugar adds good flavor but can turn light-colored fruits and vegetables darker. Syrup or honey can poorly affect the taste of your solution.

Most pickle recipes call for distilled white vinegar. This is the clear, colorless vinegar made by fermenting grains. It has a mellow aroma, tart acid flavor and does not affect the color of light-colored vegetables or fruits.

Why do you boil vinegar when pickling? ›

Quick pickling, or refrigerator pickling, involves a simple boil-and-pour method of pickling. You take all of your ingredients, apart from the product that is being pickled, and bring them to a boil. The heating process helps activate the flavors in the brine and marry them together.

Historically, deli pickles are saltier and prepared with garlic. As Freddie Jansen writes in her book, "Pickled," the New York Jewish deli pickles are immersed in saltwater brine instead of being fermented in vinegar. The deli pickle recipe starts with slicing cucumbers and putting them in a jar.

To make pickles more sour, you can add more salt to the brine. Many foods can be pickled.

Fresh brine, dill pickles, also known as “half sours,” because the pickling brine uses salt without boiling vinegar, are also known as “kosher dills.” They are uncooked, and preserved by refrigeration.

Historically, deli pickles are saltier and prepared with garlic. As Freddie Jansen writes in her book, "Pickled," the New York Jewish deli pickles are immersed in saltwater brine instead of being fermented in vinegar.

Even in two hours, pickles' texture can start to change. Warm temperatures cause pickles to soften and lose their crunchy texture. Keeping them cool keeps them crisp. Fridge-cold temperatures prevent mold and yeast from forming in the pickle jar, but other factors can affect the contents, too.

Pickles are a good source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, Zumpano adds. Vitamin A supports healthy vision and immune function, per the Cleveland Clinic. Vitamin K is good for the bones, says Largeman-Roth, and plays a key role in blood-clotting and wound-healing.

The sharp, briny taste of pickles provides a refreshing counterpoint to the rich, savory flavors of deli meats and cheeses. This contrast helps balance the palate, preventing the sandwich from becoming too heavy or monotonous.