Preparation / Directions:
Prepare the cucumbers following the instructions for Brined Cucumbers.
Rinse the dill and divide in half. Scrub and rinse the horseradish and
slice thinly. Peel and halve the garlic. Wash the various leaves.
Fold half of the dill into a ring and place in the bottom of the jar. Strew
half the horseradish and garlic and 1/3 of leaves on top. Arrange half of
pickles upright, packing them tightly. Place 1/3 of the leaves on top,
then pack in the rest of the cucumbers in the same manner. Top with layers
of the remaining horseradish, dill, garlic, and leaves.
Combine the salt and water, stirring until the salt dissolves (the
percentage of salt in this brine is 2.8-3.0 percent). Pour the brine into
the jar. The contents should be fully covered. Place the saucer inside the
jar with a weight (small rock?). Cover the mouth of the jar with 2 layers
of cheesecloth and secure with string.
Leave for 3-4 days in cool, airy room whose temperature is about 64-68
degrees.
Remove the scum as it appears and wash the mouth of the jar daily. After
3-4 days, when most active fermentation has subsided a little, remove weight and lid. cover jar with its own lid and refrigerate. In 1 2 days the malossol cucumbers will be ready to eat. Because there is less salt in the brine than Brined Cucumbers, malossol cucumbers should be eaten sooner.
Store the pickles on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator for 4-5 days, after which they will become either too salty (and turn into regular brined cucumbers) or, more likely, too soft and almost mushy.
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