UPDATE: Well, EVEN ON DAY 4, these pickles are crisp and even better than a wonderful Bubbies pickle! Slices ferment faster than whole pickles!!! Test them. ONCE TO YOUR LIKING, REFRIGERATE THEM IMMEDIATELY. THAT STOPS THE FERMENT-ATION!
This is an excellent explanation of how fermentation works (and a recipe):
“Lacto-fermentation is the process that produces traditional dill pickles, kimchi and real sauerkraut. It takes nothing more than salt, vegetables and water – no canning, no fancy equipment”.
“This simple process works because bacteria that could be harmful to us can’t tolerate much salt, but there are good bacteria that can. Think of the this process as the ‘bad guys vs. the good guys’. Lacto-fermentation wipes out the bad guys in its first stage, then lets the good guys get to work during stage two.
“The good guys on the salt-tolerant team are called Lactobacillus. Several different species within this genus are used to produce fermented foods.
“The benefits of eating food with live Lactobacillus bacteria include a healthier digestive system and speedy recovery from yeast infections. They are also supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties and be useful in preventing certain kinds of cancer.”
I started making lacto-fermented foods after we pinned down the reason we had so many food allergies and yeast (candida) issues. Exposure to black mold (Stachybotris) in our home years before had destroyed gut linings (leaky gut) and messed with the normal digestion and absorption process in some of us.
This recipe is as basic as it comes. You can make this with only 3 ingredients OR add garlic and spices if you wish.
Ingredients for Lacto-fermented Pickles:
~Individual glass quart jars, a 1-gallon glass jar, or ceramic crock (with lids)
~Brine: For every 2 c water, mix in 1 Tbsp sea salt. With an abundance of cucumbers multiply that as many times as needed to cover all the cucumbers.
~Cucumbers (small to medium are perfect, but if they large, cut them into spears)
~A handful of fresh, clean grape leaves, optional (grape, oak, cherry, raspberry, & blackberry leaves supply tannins to keep the pickles crunchy)
Optional Additions to make Old-Fashioned Dill Pickles: PER QUART
~2-3 medium cloves of garlic, peeled, & roughly chopped (to taste)
~1 tsp whole dill seed (I use 2 sprigs of green seed heads from garden)
~1/2 tsp whole coriander seed (I used ground)
~1/4 tsp whole mustard seed
~1/4 tsp whole peppercorns (I used tellicherry peppercorns)
~1/4 tsp fennel seed (optional~ I didn’t have any on hand)
~1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (I used small pieces of dehydrated hot pepper from last summer)
Directions:
~Wash. Slice in wedges for large cukes or leave whole if small to medium.
~Pack jars For cutting purposes your pickles need to be at the very least 1″ below the brine. I will discuss this more later.
sliced into spears
or left whole
~Mix brine (sea salt and water solution-see recipe) in a measuring cup. Stir well before pouring over pickles.
You want your cucumbers (and leaves) to be completely submerged in the brine at all times. If they are exposed to the air, they will mold, so you may need to weigh them down with a sanitized rock or small jar that fits your bigger jar.
I washed my rocks in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar…the same non-toxic solution I use for my homemade bleach alternative. Rinse well before using.
This year I used the Old-Fashioned Dill Pickle recipe above. We made whole baby dills with the short 3-5 inchers and spears with the full sized 8 inchers..
As an experiment, I used 2 leaves from the grape vine per jar (help to submerge the spears). I have read that leaves with high tannin levels will keep pickles crunchy, but I know others that have never used them and they were just great.
Cover your jar with its lid. You may see a film of thin white scum growing on the surface of the water; just skim it off as often as you can, but don’t worry if you can’t get it all. This is “kahm yeast”; it won’t harm you, but it can affect the flavor of your pickles if you don’t keep up with it.
Lacto-fermentation happens when the starches and sugars in the cukes convert to lactic acid by a friendly lactic-acid producing bacteria.
Your pickles will be ready after 5-8 days on the kitchen counter in the summer, depending on the warmth of your home. On day 4 do a taste test of your pickles. They’re ready when they taste done to you! Once they taste done, transfer the jar into the fridge to slow fermentation. Once fermented and in the refrigerator, you can remove the grape leaves and you don’t need to worry about the pickles being completely submerged.
And the brine is healthful, too; It’s full of good bacteria and beneficial for your digestion! Since it’s salty, it would be especially good after a hot, sweaty day of work outside.
Serve one pickle or slice with lunch and dinner every day.
These could last months in your fridge, but if you like dill pickles, they will be all gone long before that! Good health and bon appétit!
“The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.” ~Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, pg 89
~ Jacqueline
Hello, Jaqueline! I have been blessed with an abundance of pickling cucumbers this season. We have made several different batches of pickles, but I haven’t been too happy with any of them. Your process sounds like it might be just what I’m looking for! I had a question, I have wild muscadine grapes growing on my property, do you know if their leaves would work for this recipe? Or do I have to use a specific kind of grape leaves? Thank you!
~ Tabitha
Hi, Tabitha,
Blessings, friend~
I hope you have had a pleasant Sunday!
I do think that the wild grape leaves will be fine and contain the tannins. Maybe it would be worth giving it a try in just one jar. Necessity is the mother of invention, you know! I would like to know what you find out
Thanks, I think I’ll give it a try!
~ Tabitha
These look great! Thank you for sharing such detailed and good information. I really appreciate it! Here comes the questions (so sorry in advance) …
1) You don’t boil the brine, just pour in cold?
2) What do you use to skim the brine, is metal okay?
3) How often should you skim the brine, like once a day?
4) Can you do the same exact steps for cabbage I wonder?
Can’t wait to try this out!!!
Oops, 1 more question… Do the jars need to be sterilized with boiling water first or just be a “clean” jar? (Yes, I am a worry wart! and detailed when it comes to food prep…)
Thanks!
Amazing! I wonder about these same things…must be the nurse in me
Well, to begin, I run my jars through the dishwasher before using them and store them with their lids on.
I used store bought cabbage and didn’t make it right away, so it sat in the fridge for over a week. I think it was maybe too dry so there weren’t enough juices to cover it. A really fresh cabbage should be full of them, right? Anyway, here is the link: http://www.immerwachsen.com/2011/09/07/red-cabbage-sauerkraut-pickles/
With this ‘old’ recipe you do not boil the brine. Is is cold, but I do stir it well right before pouring it over the cukes. Yes, you can use a metal spoon to skim, and so far, I’ve only had to skim a slight bit of the kalm yeast off of one on day 3. I have checked them all, but make sure to not breathe (haha!) when I open them to look inside
I think every day or 2 would be fine.
We did try a pickle that was in the brine for just one day. It wouldn’t stay down under the surface, so we nabbed it. Wow, it was even good at that stage. I hope it works well for you the first time. Please let me know how you fare.
As for cabbage, my friend who told me about this way of fermenting say to use just 1 TBSP of sea salt for 1 head of cabbage… that didn’t work for me, but has for others
I will be trying it again soon.
Love to you all! My daughter also sends her greetings.
Grace and peace,
Jacqueline
Thank you, I made the needed notes and can’t wait to try this. We started kefir last year and I am loving the results of these fermented foods. I have a lot more energy!! And, it has brought our probiotic bill down at the health food store. Two “yays” in one
Please return the thoughtful greetings to your daughter!
I absolutely love the pictures…such nice green cucumbers. This will go in my recipe collection for future planning. We used to grow cucumbers, but in the soil we have here, nothing much but squash grows well.
Squash pickles don’t look very appealing.
Oh, I wish I could send you some rain! We have had probably 4 inches this month. It just rains like we’re in the amazon, making strawberries very happy but drawing concerns about washed-out roads and houses. I’m still praying for God to send your area rain in abundance.
Dear Petra,
Thank you so much for the concerns and the prayer. We did have about 1 1/2″ last week, but the forecast for today has not been correct. It is really fine, and we continue to trust that it will all work out in the end. That last rain may have saved the hay from dying, so we are thrilled to get what we’ve gotten.
Is it unusual for so much rain there? Four inches in a month in mountains would seem to cause washouts. May the Lord hold those homes on the side of those mountains! Still,I an so glad your strawberries are thriving. Have you ever seen Back To Eden? I will be posting about it soon. I wonder if you can achieve some real fertility and tilth for your soil with this wonderful method of building soil. http://vimeo.com/28055108
May the Lord be with you all,
In Him,
Jacqueline
Thank you for your inspiration. I have started a healthier eating regamine. The internet community has been helpful at finding the info I need to keep going. I have started baking with natural yeast and I am learning so much about fermenting and creating a good base for a real food diet. This week I pickled the pursulane from my garden. We should have cucumbers soon.
These sound delicious! I just wish we could get our cucumbers to actually produce.
YUM! We love fermented pickles! I have been fermenting for several years now, and have found the bale wire jars (you have one pictured) to be the best for fermenting. The other jars manage to let air in, and that is not ideal for fermenting. Jars should have a tight seal, so covering with a cloth is not the best option. The wire top jars do not let air in, but do let the gases that build up while fermenting out. I have found any type of grape leaves work, and i usually put in several as I am layering the cukes in. I always have one at the top, to kind of seal the pickles in, then I place a weight on top of that to keep everything as much under the brine as possible. I have my current batch just about ready…it has been fermenting for 2 weeks today. I checked them a few days ago, and they were not quite ready yet…so good…so crunchy, when they are done!
I have ordered Fido jars (a brand name of the bale wire jars) from Sur la Table and they are very cheap, even with shipping. I have also found these types of jars at thrift stores. I would try to find jars that are made in the U.S., Italy, or France…any that are unmarked or made in China could have lead in them and not really be good for fermenting…tho I am currently using an unmarked one now for homemade kefir.
Fermented foods are very good for you…chock full of healthy probiotics…far better than anything you can find in a pill!
Your added information is encouraging me on this journey right now, Cindy, as you affirm these things. It is working SO well, but I’m sure there is still much to learn! Thank you for adding about the bale wire top jars…I will check with Sur la Table since I also need a 1 gallon glass jar for making Kombucha. many blessings, friend
Your insight is always welcome.
I have seen that you can use half of an onion, sliced side down, to weigh down the pickles. This will also give the pickles an onion flavor!
Your pictures are so pretty! Totally craving pickles now!
Mrs. Sarah Coller
Thank you so much for this wonderfully informative post! I’m pinning it
Thanks for sharing at Tiny Tip Tuesday!
Jacqueline, I didn’t know you could drink the brine. Great tip! I have been wondering if it’s ok to reuse it? Do you know?
Hello, Susan!
Yes, I have reused but usually need to add more brine to cover the pickles for some reason. I’ve also added more mustard, red pepper, and other spices. I have whole baby dills in a 2nd use brine right now. The grape or raspberry leaves DO make them crunch!
I’m glad you mentioned the raspberry leaves. I knew about grape and oak, but I have easiest access to raspberry. I have always thrown the brine into my compost, but I’ll be reusing it now. And I drank some it with my lunch today!
I want to just start out and say I LOVE your blog and have been so blessed from reading it since I came across it a few weeks ago!
Thank you for sharing your heart and God’s love! It is such an encouragement!
Now, about the pickles…I was so excited to try this as soon as I saw the recipe and it was perfect timing because I had more cucumbers coming out of the garden than I could eat. And I love pickles!
I had enough to do two jars which I figured was good to start and try out the recipe. It’s day four now and I was looking forward to testing one, but I tasted one and it tastes awful!!! What did I do wrong???
I poured the brine over them and covered them with raspberry leaves and weighted them with a rock. And I covered my jars with a cloth. I have been scraping the white stuff off the top everyday, although mine is foamy and not like a thin coating on top of the brine…hmmm?? And my jars started out all pretty but now the water is all cloudy. Is that supposed to happen? I am willing to try again, but I was wondering if you had any pointers. I really want it to work! I almost feel silly posting this as everyone else has posted their good results and how delicious they are.
Thanks soooo much!
Amber,
Then let me know how yummy and good they are. Also, do wash everything in soap that is safe for food and rinse them well so no soap is left. Including jar, pickles, grape leaves, rock, etc…I pray they work this time!!!! xoxox Jacqueline
I am sorry there has been a delay in answering you. We are in NC for 3 days with friends, so I’ve been away from the computer. I think I know what the problem is… and I owe you a big apology! I had written to “cover the pickles with a lid or a cloth”!!! Well, I messed up in saying you could use a cloth! I just started kombucha, and you can cover THAT with a cloth, but pickles should be done with lids screwed on firmly. As I typed, I must have added “cloth” without thinking! I am so, so sorry! I hope you will persevere and do it again
Thank you so so much!!! I will definitely try again!!!
I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. God bless!
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