Recently, I picked up some Kirby Cucumbers from Norwich Meadows Farm at Union Square. Kirby’s are the preferred cucumber for making pickles, they have a smaller seed cavity and hold up well in brine. Kirbys are also small about 3 -6 inches in size, perfect for pickling whole. For this recipe I made a batch of half sour pickles. Half sours are the pickle of NY, and the pickle of my heart. They are the ideal pickle for when you want acidity, but still enjoy the fresh bite of a cucumber.
Half sours are made without vinegar and rely on the fermentation power of a garlicky salt brine. Like the name suggests, half sours, are fermented only half as long as a traditional full sour pickle. You can follow this recipe and keep the pickles fermenting for 7 to 10 days to see for yourself how the texture changes as time goes on.
To make half sours, first you need to make a brine. To 1 liter of water add 35 grams of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, season the brine with garlic clove and any spices you like. Bring the brine to a simmer, enough to dissolve the salt. Then, cool to room temperature, I add a few ice cubes to speed this along, before pouring over the cucumbers. Make sure the cucumbers are fully submerged in the brine then ferment at room temperature for 4-5 days, checking on day 3 until the desired level of sourness is reached. When ready transfer to the refrigerator and store indefinitely, though I guarantee they will not last.
For this recipe I wanted to use the acidity and fermented nature of the pickles to act as part of the vinaigrette. Combining the salty, briny, slightly funky nature of the half sours with one of my favorite infused oils, Chamomile.
Personally, I think that Chamomile is severely underrated. I love to infuse Chamomile into oil, simple syrups, and even whipped cream. If you want to learn more about the versatility of chamomile and other produce, you should pre-order my cookbook, Every Leaf, Every Stem! Link below.
You should make this oil ahead of time, I tend to make a cup of oil at a time and keep it in my fridge anytime I need to add a touch of warm and herbaciousness to a dish.
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