Fermented Kosher-Style Dill Pickles

Step 1
Pour 1/2 gallon water into a large container or pot. Cover loosely and allow to sit for 24 hours to allow dissolved chlorine to escape.

Step 2
Crisp cucumbers by storing in the refrigerator or soaking in very cold water for 1 hour.

Step 3
Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.

Step 4
Wash cucumbers in cold water and remove any blossoms clinging to them. Quarter large cucumbers lengthwise; cut medium cucumbers in half lengthwise; leave gherkin-sized cucumbers whole.

Step 5
Peel and gently crush garlic cloves, but don't splinter them into fragments.

Step 6
Pour cooled salt water into a 1/2-gallon mason jar. Add cucumbers, garlic, dill, and dried chile peppers, arranged attractively. Pack cucumbers tightly; they will shrink as they pickle. Fill the jar with dechlorinated water until cucumbers are just covered to avoid overly diluting brine.

Step 7
Loosely cover the jar and set it aside at room temperature; set the jar on a dish if it is full to catch any dribbles. Let sit undisturbed until fermentation begins, 12 to 24 hours.

Step 8
Refrigerate pickles in brine and loosely covered as they approach the pickling stage you prefer: new, half-sour, or sour. Don't overshoot the mark, as refrigeration slows but does not stop fermentation.