2 quarts large cucumbers, peeled and sliced lengthwise in quarters or sixths
1 large head dill per jar
½ cup salt
1½ cups vinegar
1½ cups sugar
1/½ cups water
Wash cucumbers, peel, and cut into quarters or sixths lengthwise. (As an Amana Oma would tell you, cut them about as thick as a man’s finger.) Place Fischle in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let stand overnight; then drain.
Put cucumbers into sterilized jars with 1 large head of dill per jar. Bring vinegar, sugar, and water to a boil and pour over Fischle. Seal jars and process in a boiling water bath. Finish seals if necessary.
If you are just putting up a jar or two, skip the boiling water bath and store in the refrigerator. The Fischle require a few days to attain full flavor.
Yields 2 quarts.
Elise Zuber, West Amana
This recipe comes from the cookbook Seasons of Plenty: Amana Communal Cooking and is posted with the permission of author Emilie Hoppe. Learn more about the book and how to purchase it.
