Wende’s Dill Pickles

Name: Wende’s Dill Pickles
Yield: 10 quarts
Ingredients: 2 cups grape leaves packed in brine, drained; 4 large bunches fresh dill, preferably with flowering heads; 1 dried chile pepper, about 3 inches long; 1 large head garlic, cloves separated and peeled; 1¾ cups coarse (kosher) salt; 2½ cups cider vinegar; 10 quarts cold water; 1¾ cups coarse (kosher) salt; 10 large cloves garlic; 10 dill sprigs with flowering heads; ½ bushel (20 pounds) Kirby (pickling) cucumbers; 1½ cups pickling spices; ½ bushel (20 pounds) Kirby (pickling) cucumbers

Preparation info

10 quarts

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The New Basics Cookbook

By Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso

Published 1989

About

From our dear friend Wende Sasse, who brought us Wende’s Bloody Mary. Her pickle recipe makes quite a few, so save some for yourself and give the rest as gifts.

Ingredients

½ bushel (20 pounds) Kirby (pickling) cucumbers
1½ cups pickling s

Condiment
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

Arrange one third of the cucumbers, pickling spices, dill, grape leaves, and garlic cloves from the whole head in a large crock. Repeat the layers two more times and top with the chile pepper.
Mix together the vinegar, coarse salt, and water. Pour this brine over the layers in the crock. Wrap a plate that is almost as wide as the crock with cheesecloth, and pla