Fermented Cucumber Pickles
Makes:
8 cups (2 L) of pickles
Prep Time:
10 minutes, plus fermenting
Category:
Recipe from Set for the Holidays
Appetite for Random House, 2018
Pickles are a great addition to a cheese board or for any event that calls for finger foods, and making them doesn’t have to be a full-day process of putting up enough to get you through the winter—we’re not pioneers! I prefer fermented pickles (think deli pickles) to vinegar pickles, and this small-batch half-sour version only takes a few days to ferment.
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers, or 12 pickling cucumbers
- 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ bunch fresh dill
- 6 whole black peppercorns
- 4 cups (1 L) distilled water
- 1 ½ Tbsp (22 g) pickling salt
Helpful Hints: Use distilled water, which has no trace elements in it, to make the brine (trace metals in tap water can discolour foods, such as turning garlic cloves blue). It is also crucial to use pickling salt. The added iodine in table salt can discolour foods too.
You can store pickles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Wash and air-dry an 8-cup (2 L) glass jar (or 2 smaller ones). Wash the cucumbers and cut them into thick slices or sticks. Arrange the cucumbers in the jar, along with the garlic, dill and peppercorns.
Step 2
Bring the water to a full boil and stir in the salt. Pour over the cucumbers to cover completely. Weigh down the cucumbers with a ceramic or glass saucer or a small dish (do not use metal) and cover the jar with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean tea towel. Do not secure the jar with a lid.
Step 3
Let the jar sit on the counter for 24 hours (optimally at about 70 to 75°F/21 to 24°C), stirring once during that time.
Step 4
After the first day, remove the cover and weight. If blue or green spots (mold) have developed, discard the pickles (the temperature was likely too warm). If a film has developed on the brine, simply remove it with a spoon. (It is safe to eat.)
Step 5
Taste a pickle to see if you like the level of sour. If it is not yet sour enough, cover the jar again, return it to the counter, stir once in 24 hours and taste again the following day. The longer they sit, the more they will sour. Repeat for up to 3 days (the pickles won’t sour further after 3 days).
Step 6
Once the pickles have soured to your liking, transfer them to a clean jar, seal with a secure lid and refrigerate. If gifting, make sure to include a tag on the jar that says to refrigerate them.
