beebe wrote:
> Hi, I'm endeavoring to make Kosher Dill Pickles,

You mean Kosher-Style... I seriously doubt your pickles will be kosher.


and my first batch
> came out more salty than sour or "dilly;" Since it's February, I
could
> not find the fresh dill heads, so I used dill and dill seeds. The
dill
> I used, as the produce guy explained, is used for dressing fish,
etc.,
> and not the stuff that is used for canning (which comes available
late
> summer, which is way to hot a time of year for making pickles).
>
> Anyway, does anyone know how to get the pickles sour and "dilly" like
> the ones you get in new york city?

For true dill flavored pickles using FRESH dill is imperative (dried
dillweed, and other dried herbs, will not impart much flavor when
rehydrated in salt/vinegar-acid solution). To derive full value from
your dried herbs they should be rehydrated in plain *cold* water prior
to cooking... it's especially important to rehydrate oregano and basil
before adding to tomato sauce (I usually remember but sometimes I
don't-tremendous difference).

For sour pickles you need to add sour salt.

citric acid
[SIHT-rihk]
A white powder extracted from the juice of citrus and other acidic
fruits (such as lemons, limes, pineapples and gooseberries). It's also
produced by the FERMENTATION of glucose. Citric acid has a strong, tart
taste and is used as a flavoring agent for foods and beverages. Small
bottles of crystallized *sour salt* (also called citric salt ) are
often found in the kosher-foods section of supermarkets. Sour salt is
used to impart a tart flavor to traditional dishes such as BORSCHT.

=A9 Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.=20
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