Easy Lacto-fermented Pickles

Pickles are a family favorite, especially during the summer months with grill-outs and picnics. I used to can my own pickles with cucumbers from my grandparent's garden, but I kept running into the issue of soft pickles when it came time to enjoy them. I was intimidated to try fermented pickles at first, but I grew up with my mom making them all summer so I figured I could give it a shot. This is now my favorite way to enjoy cucumbers in the summer, and the best thing about them is that they are gut-healthy and can last for up to a year in your refrigerator.

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To make the fermented cucumbers, gather around 20-25 pickling cucumbers. The important thing here is to make sure they are not waxed. This will not allow them to ferment properly. Scrub the cucumbers and then slice off the blossom and stem ends of the cucumber. It is important to cut off the blossom ends because they contain an enzyme that softens the pickles.

After your cucumbers are prepared, peel and wash 12 cloves of garlic. Mash these with your knife so they are flattened. This will help them mix in with the brine and flavor the pickles. Add 3 cloves of garlic, 3 bay leaves, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of pickling spice to four glass quart jars (widemouth is the easiest to pack). You can also add some hot peppers like I did below to give your peppers some spice.

After the seasonings have been added to the jars, begin packing your cucumbers. If you prefer your pickles in spears rather than whole, you can slice them in halves or quarters lenghtwise. Select the longest pickles first and use those as the first layer in the jar. You will want to pack them tightly but not too tightly as to cause them to bruise. Once your first layer is done, select the smaller pickles to add on top. You may have to lay them lengthwise or trim them to make sure you have enough space for your fermenting weight.

Make a high brine by dissolving 3/4 cup (200 g) unrefined salt in one gallon of filtered water. Using filtered water is imperitive when fermenting, as chlorine can kill the good bacteria needed for the ferment to occur. I run our city tap water through our Berkey filter and have had no issues. Once the salt is dissolved in the water, pour into the jars until the cucumbers are covered. Tap gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles, then add your fermenting weight to the top. Add more brine to make sure the weight is covered, and then follow the instructions for your fermenting kit. I used an airlock system with mine (here is one that is similar to mine), but I have also used the burping method which only requires a weight and airtight lid. If you are using the burping method, you will need to open the lid of your jar to let any gas buildup every 12 hours or so while in the fermenting stage. You can store any leftover brine in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Place jars in a glass casserole pan to catch any leaks and store in a dark, cool place out of direct sunlight. For half-sours, ferment for 3 days before storing in the fridge, and for full sours (ones you plan to eat right away), ferment no longer than 6 days. The cucumbers will continue to ferment slowly in the fridge, which is why you want to only ferment them for 3 days if you plan to store them for several months. The brine in the fermented pickles should be cloudy and the pickles should be crunchy with a tang to them. If they are soft, smell bad, or had a pickle exposed to air during the fermenting period, the batch is no good and must be discarded. Before putting them in the fridge, use the leftover brine to top off the jar to cover the pickles if needed.

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Easy Fermented Pickles

Prep time: 30 min Ferment time: 3-6 days Yeild: 4 Quarts

Ingredients:

• 20-25 pickling cucumbers (non-waxed)

• 12 cloves garlic

• 6 Tbsp pickling spice

• 12 bay leaves

• 4 jalepeno peppers (optional)

• 3/4 cup (200 g) unrefined salt

• 1 gallon filtered water (unchlorinated)

Directions:

1. Scrub the cucumbers and slice off the blossom and stem ends of the cucumber. It is important to cut off the blossom ends because they contain an enzyme that softens pickles.

2. Peel and wash the garlic and mash these with your knife so they are flattened.

3. Add 3 cloves of garlic, 3 bay leaves, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of pickling spice to four glass quart jars (widemouth is the easiest to pack). If you want to add a bit of spice to your pickles, you can slice up four jalepenos and add one to each jar.

4. After the seasonings have been added to the jars, begin packing your cucumbers. If you prefer your pickles in spears rather than whole, you can slice them in halves or quarters lenghtwise. Select the longest pickles first and use those as the first layer in the jar. You will want to pack them tightly but not too tightly as to cause them to bruise. Once your first layer is done, select the smaller pickles to add on top. You may have to lay them lengthwise or trim them to make sure you have enough space for your fermenting weight.

5. Make a high brine by dissolving the unrefined salt in the filtered water. Once the salt is dissolved in the water, pour into the jars until the cucumbers are covered. Tap gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles, then add your fermenting weight to the top. Add more brine to make sure the weight is covered, and then follow the instructions for your fermenting kit. You can store any leftover brine in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.

6. Place jars in a glass casserole pan to catch any leaks and store in a dark, cool place out of direct sunlight. For half-sours, ferment for 3 days before storing in the fridge, and for full sours (ones you plan to eat right away), ferment no longer than 6 days. The cucumbers will continue to ferment slowly in the fridge, which is why you want to only ferment them for 3 days if you plan to store them over a several months. The brine in the fermented pickles should be cloudy and the pickles should be crunchy with a tang to them. If they are soft, smell bad, or had a pickle exposed to air during the fermenting period, the batch is no good and must be discarded.

7. Before putting them in the fridge, use the leftover brine to top off the jar to cover the pickles if needed.

   
   
   
   
   
   

   Notes:

   - If you are using the burping method, you will need to open the lid of your jar to let out any gas buildup every 12 hours or so while in the fermenting stage.

   - I will be writing a post on fermenting tips and troubleshooting to help answer any questions that may come up during your fermenting journey