Food Processing and Storage

Exploration in Fermentation: Pickles

I've never liked pickles. Even the ones I've canned for Marc have always been merely "okay". Then I tried fermenting pickles and...holy cow! They were good...no, not just good. They were flavorful, zesty and delicious! I actually craved them! Now they are the only pickles I process.

Fermenting pickles was my first attempt at the fermentation process. In my research, I learned allot about the benefits of fermentation:

• Fermenting pickles is so much easier and takes less energy to process than canning.
• Eating fermented food can help support digestive health and enhance the immune system as it contains live lactic-acid producing bacteria.
• Having this bacteria in your gut can help you absorb more nutrients from the foods you eat.
• Making your own healthy, fermented pickles is less expensive than buying them in the store.
• Good for your taste buds too!!!

Fermented Pickle Recipe:

The original recipe I referred to when making my own pickles was the one found on the Wild Fermentation website. I modified the recipe a bit.

The only items you need to ferment pickles are a crock or food-grade bucket, a plate that will fit snugly into the crock, a (clean) weight to keep the plate down under the brine, and a towel to cover the crock.

Gather your Ingredients:

• About 4 lbs of pickling cucumbers. I like mine fairly small - they just taste better to me.
• 3/8 cup sea salt
• Fresh flowering dill heads -  I like dill and put in as much as I have on hand. Usually about 5 heads or so, but you can adjust to your own taste.
• Garlic - I put in 3 - 4 heads of garlic
• A couple of grape leaves (optional). This is suppose to help the pickles stay crisp. I've also used horseradish and raspberry leaves with the same results.
• Peppers - 4 to 5. I've used whatever peppers I have on hand in my garden, both sweet and hot peppers and a combination of both, with success.  

Make your Pickles:

• Place dill, garlic, grape leaves, and peppers in the bottom of a clean crock.
• Place cucumbers, cleaned and blossoms removed, in the crock.
• Mix sea salt with 1/2 gallon of water and completely dissolve to make brine.
• Pour brine over the cucumbers.
• Place the clean plate over the cucumbers and weight it down with a boiled rock or jug filled with water. The plate should be under the brine at all times. If there is not enough, add more brine with a ratio of just under 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 cup water.
• Cover with towel or cloth.
• Check the crock each day. Mold will form - just try to skim off as much as you can. The mold is natural and your pickles are safely fermenting underneath in the brine so don't worry too much. Rinse your plate and weight before returning to the crock.
• Check your pickles after a few days and taste to see if they are done. You can continue to let them ferment for up to 4 weeks. Putting them in the refrigerator will slow down the fermentation process.

Temperature will affect the fermenation process so just be attentive to your pickles and check on them every day until you are happy with the taste. If I use one of my small crocks, I just move it directly to the refrigerator once I know they are to my liking.

I never thought making fermented pickles could be so easy and taste sooooo good! 

Up Next: Fermenting Sauer Kraut