beebe wrote:

> Hi, I'm endeavoring to make Kosher Dill Pickles, 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?
>

Where did you get those little cucumbers for pickling at this time of
year? The sour comes from the vinegar in the brine. Dried dill os a poor
substitute for fresh. Bottled dill weed is just the "leaves" of the dill
plant, not the flowering head that you need for dill pickles. Dill and
cucumbers usually come into season as the same time in late summer.