Q: I desperately want to make crunchy, garlicky, salty, dill pickles. Any recipes or tips that get more garlic flavour into the pickles? Mine have turned out salty enough but not garlicky enough and adding more garlic doesn't necessarily seem to help. Do I have to make fermented dill pickles for this?
Sent by Audrey
Editor: This is a great question! (I love really garlicky pickles.) Readers, any pickle experts out there? How can Audrey get that super-garlicky flavor she craves?
Related: Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles
(Image: Marisa McClellan)
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Do you crush the garlic when you put it in or put it in whole like the picture above? Crushing it would def release more flavor. Other than that, I'm not sure!
Some quick research shows that the compound responsible for garlic aroma and flavor (see: allicin) is only produced when tissue damage occurs and breaks down within 16 hours at just over 73 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're really wanting a strong garlic presence I would muddle some fresh garlic in with your other spices and use a refrigerator pickle recipe so the flavor doesn't fade.
Looks like I need to change my process a bit as well.
Definitely smash your garlic.
I think the kind of pickles you are describing really do require fermentation. Pickle barrel kind of pickles...
First of all, crush the garlic before doing anything. Beyond that, keep in mind that allicin (garlic's primary flavor compound) is far more soluble in alcohol than it is in water. Give the garlic a low, slow poach in a salt/water/vodka (or other neutral spirit) solution at 175F for about 30 minutes, then chill before adding other ingredients.
Audrey, fermenting pickles is very simple. You don't even heat them up! Just cold pack into sterilized jars, with the spices you like, then cover them to overflowing with a brine. Do not seal them, let them sit out in a 70 to 80 degree room for anywhere from four to seven days (they will go from bright green to olive green. Then, clean up the rims and refrigerate them. Because they are not cooked, they stay crisp and the fermentation creates the natural salty-sour flavor.
I just read Jennifer Reese's book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter and she has what appears to be a delicious and very easy fermented pickle recipe. The thing that I've had the most trouble with when making pickles is keeping them crunchy. She says to include a couple of grape leaves because the tannins will keep pickles crisp. I'm splitting my time between Utah and Texas these days and have no idea where to get grape leaves in either place but as soon as I do I'm going to run straight home and try it!
You can get grape leaves in the foreign foods section of most grocery stores.
Great tip, DD LIZZY. Thanks!