Brine for Kosher dills

i used 3/4 cup kosher salt in gal of warm water with 1/2 teaspoonful of alum mix good till all desolves.I put one stalk of dill in a gal jug with three cloves of garlic,then put in pickles on top put another stalk of dill and covered with the warm water mixture,put cap on and set in warm place for week, skimming of top as needed when gets a scum

Great ......but at what point do you call in the rabbi to examine the food? And is it customary to tip $$$ the rabbi?

I add a few dried red peppers to mine and omit the garlic. My uncle puts a piece of rye bread on the top which I don't understand.

i see the reference to alum in a couple of pickle recipes, what's its function?

also, looking for a good spicy pickle recipe that someone has actually tried.

I use 1/2 cup of canning salt and 1/4 cup of vinegar, no alum for me, a TBL. or two of mustard seeds plus a couple of dried hot Thai peppers.
I've never made pickles without vinegar. I'd try them but I'm curious as to how they'd taste. Salty?

quote:

Originally posted by mar52

I add a few dried red peppers to mine and omit the garlic. My uncle puts a piece of rye bread on the top which I don't understand.

My sauerkraut recipe calls for a slice of rye bread on top. I always assumed it was to hurry the fermentation process along. But I am far from a chemist so do not know if that is the reason.