www.ethanwiner.com - since 1997

New Pickles Recipe


New pickles - also called half-sours or quarter-sours - are the kind you find in a good Jewish deli, and they taste great. But it's rare to find good ones at the supermarket, and when you do they're usually expensive. Fortunately, new pickles are very easy to make yourself!

You'll need a number of 1-quart glass pickling jars. These are also called Mason jars, or canning jars (an oxymoron). I bought a dozen 1-quart glass jars with lids that seal well at Walmart for $12.

You also need pickling cucumbers. The cucumbers used for pickles are called Kirby cucumbers, and they're available at most supermarkets. Avoid any that are soft or very large. Firm Kirby cukes are fresher, and smaller ones fit more easily into the pickling jars.

All the pickling recipes I've seen specify Kosher salt. I've tried both regular salt and Kosher salt, and I can't tell any difference. Use whichever type you prefer.

For each 1-quart pickling jar you will need:

I've made many batches of new pickles so far, and found the following method the simplest. It also minimizes the mess to clean up.

That's all there is to it. Enjoy!


Ethan Winer has been an audio pro and skeptic for most of his adult life. He now heads up RealTraps, where he designs acoustic treatment products for recording studios and home listening rooms.

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