Another wonderful recipe for lacto-fermenting cucumbers. A process that I explain more in depth here, as well as a Dill Pickle recipe too!
Here is what you need for this recipe, the following is for a 1 quart jar:
- Cucumbers (2-3 garden grown ones, if available)
- fresh dill (2-3 sprigs, the head of the plant only)
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- fresh garlic (2 bulbs)
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander seed
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorn (I used Melange)
- 4 sprinkles of red pepper flakes
- medium onion, chunked sections
- quart size mason(canning) jar
- grape leaves, oak leaves (optional for more crunchy pickles)
Easy peasy here we go…
Wash your cucumbers and slice (or cut into spears whichever you would prefer. If you do not use slices, the lacto-fermetation process will take longer). Add your cucumbers to your Mason jar, packing them in as tightly as you can, leaving an inch to an inch and a 1/2 of room at the top of the jar. Wash off your garlic and dill and add them to your jar. Mix your coriander seed, mustard seed, peppercorns and pepper flakes in a small bowl, then add them to your jar. Take 1-2 chunked section of your onion, flip them upside down and stuff them on top of your cucumbers. Now take your measuring cup (I used my 2 cup glass Pyrex) and mix together 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of sea salt. Mix until the salt is completely dissolved into the water. Gently pour your water/salt mixture over the cucumbers and add-ins. Make sure the cucumbers are completely submerged. If not, mold will grow on them and ruin your (to be) pickles. If need be, add a sterilized rock to the top of your items to make sure everything stays under the water mixture. Add your lid and ring. Now place your pickles on a counter and let the process begin.
Check your pickles within 3 days, crack open your jar and taste a pickle. (Be warned, it is going to be very potent smelling! I promise the process is working though.) Is it to your liking? If so, gather up your jar and put it in the refrigerator. Putting it in the refrigerator stops the lacto-fermentaion process. At this point your pickles will now last for 6-12 months. That is if you don’t eat them all in a short time, like we do!
If you would like the pickles to be a bit more tasty, close the jar back up and check the next day. Depending on how warm your home is, the climate you live in, you might have to wait up to as many as 7 days for this process to be complete. When you are satisfied with the taste, put your jar into the refrigerator.
If you see some frothy stuff on the top of the pickles, spoon it off. This can happen when you use table salt instead of sea salt.
I hope you enjoy these delicious pickles. These are my favorites. The family likes the non-spicy dills found here.
I would love to hear from you if you have tried lacto-fermenting any foods. Feel free to leave a comment and I will also any questions you might have.
Many blessings to you,
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