lacto-fermented

Crazy Awesome, Super Easy Dill Pickles

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These pickles rock.

They are crunchy, salty and full of great dill and garlic flavor with that awesome lacto-fermented tang that is highly addictive and unique.

I went a little nuts on planting cucumbers this year with these pickles in mind.

lacto fermented pickles

 

Luckily you can get great pickling cucumbers at most farmers markets and farm stands in the U.S. this time of year so even if you don’t have cucs ripening by the minute outside your door you can still make a batch of these.

lactofermented pickles

lactofermented pickles

The three best things about these pickles are;

  1. They are lacto-fermented (no canning required)
  2. They are lacto-fermented (they are an incredibly healthy “live” probiotic-filled food)
  3. They are lacto-fermented (which in my book equals delicious)

I’ve written many times about my love of lacto-fermented food, including with my recipe for saurkraut, kimchi, and pickled vegetables.   They have a unique tang and je ne sais quoi that can’t be found in any other food.  Plus, the naturally occurring “good bacteria” (probiotics) has improved my immune system dramatically.

Like most lacto-fermented food, this recipe is really just a guideline.  The only important ratio is the 5 tablespoons of sea salt to the 2 quarts of water; the garlic and dill are more of a personal preference.

lactofermented pickles

 

Keeping the cucumbers whole helps keep them crunchy!

lactofermented pickles

 

Another thing that helps keep them crunchy is the addition of grape leaves.  There is a tannin in the leaves that does this, oak leaves and horseradish leaves can also be used but grapevines are a bit easier to come by.

lactofermented pickles

lactofermented pickles

 

I have a disgusting amount of wild grapevines in my backyard so I didn’t have to look hard to harvest for this batch of pickles.

The grape leaves also provide a bit of a protective layer for the top of the brine, which can get a little filmy sometimes, more on that in the recipe.

lactofermented pickles

 

 

Start by laying down half of the leaves in the bottom of your jar, followed by half the dill and garlic.

Fill the jar with the cucumbers, packing as tightly as possible.

lacto fermented pickles

lacto fermented pickles

Stuff the rest of the dill and garlic down into the holes.

 

lacto fermented pickles

Fill the jar with the salt and water brine solution (details in the recipe), leaving at least an inch of headroom.

 

lacto fermented pickles

Lots more details in the following “recipe”.

Crazy Awesome Super Easy Dill Pickles

Ingredients
  • Large Glass Jar (holds at least 2 quarts, preferably with a wide mouth)
  • 8-15 Pickling Cucumbers
  • 5 Tablespoons Sea Salt*
  • 2 Quarts Water*
  • 3-5 Cloves Garlic
  • 1-3 Heads Dillweed
  • 4-6 Big Grapevine Leaves (washed)
Instructions
  1. *The amount of brine (water and salt solution) you need depends on the size and amount of cucumbers you use. This recipe will probably leave you with leftover brine that can be saved for your next batch.
  2. Dissolve the salt in 1 cup of boiling water and let cool then combine it with the rest of the water to create the pickling brine
  3. In the bottom of a clean jar place 2-3 grape leaves
  4. Add half of the garlic and half of the dill
  5. Add all of your cucumbers, try to pack them in as tight as possible (it’s a bit of a tetris game)
  6. In the nooks and crannies place the rest of your garlic and dill
  7. Pour in the pickling brine, covering the top cucumbers completely but leaving at least an inch of “headroom”
  8. Wiggle the jar a bit to release any air that was trapped at the bottom
  9. Cover the top of the brine with the remaining grape leaves
  10. Cover the jar with a lid or a plastic bag secured with a rubberband (if, like me, you got big jars but not big lids!)
  11. Leave on the counter to ferment for 5-8 days
  12. The cucumbers will quickly change from bright green to a more earthy, darker green and the clear brine will start to cloud a little
  13. A white film may appear on the top, this is just fine and can be poured off once the pickles are done
  14. After 5-8 days taste for flavor, the pickles should still be crunchy and should look and feel “pickled” all the way through (not just on the surface. At first they will be more salty than tangy. At this point the top grape leaves can be tossed, the top bit of brine poured off if filmy, and the jar moved to the fridge. Pickles can be kept in the fridge for several months, although the crunch will diminish with time.

I’m pretty simple with my pickle-eating; they are usually eaten straight from the jar while making lunch or occasionally cut thin for a sandwich.  Either way, these pickles f-ing rock! You should probably go make a batch..or five…asap.

 

Lacto-Fermented Pickles

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Pickles are pretty awesome in my book.   They are the veggie version of flavored chips; no need for dip, the salty, tangy, sour flavor is already infused!

I’m also a big fan of lacto-fermentation, the process of fermenting with salt in order to preserve and create good bacteria to promote good health.  I’ve been making kimchi and sauerkraut for years and was ready to expand my cultured horizons.

Enter Lacto-Fermented Radishes, Carrots, & Jalapenos.

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Lacto-fermenting is easy.  Super easy.

You need:

  • Vegetables
  • Garlic (optional)
  • Salt
  • Water
  • Jars
  • Lids

The brine is 1.5 tablespoons sea salt:1 quart water.

Let’s say you are going to make 3 quarts of pickles, put 4.5 tablespoons of salt in the bottom of a quart jar.  Add about a half a cup hot water to the jar.  Wait for the salt to dissolve.  Help it along by swishing/stirring.

In the meantime fill three jars with your chosen veg.  I chose jalapenos, whole radishes, chunks of carrots, and a few cloves of peeled garlic.  One jar I filled with a mix of all three, the other jars I did just thinly sliced jalapenos, for which I used the food processor.

Pour the brine over the jars and make sure to leave about an inch of headspace at the top of each.  Screw the top on loosely.  Place jars in an out of the way location, like a pantry, for 3-7 days. 

Lacto-fermenting takes a little bit of time to work it’s magic and requires room temperature (I’ve read that 72 is the perfect lacto-fermenting temperature).  My house was in the mid-upper 60’s and my jars were perfect after 6 days.

How will you know when the pickles are ready?  You’ll have to taste them.  The first time I tasted a radish from the jar it was just kind of salty and not very interesting but a day or two later it had that familiar tang and sparkle of lacto-fermented goodness.

Once your pickles have reached a desirable level of fermentation you can move the jars to the fridge, which will slow down but not stop the process.  They will “keep” in the fridge for several months but I generally like to eat them within a month or two.

I ended up eating most of the radishes straight from the jar as an appetizer while cooking lunches.  The jalapenos were a super mild batch and I’ve enjoyed big forkfuls of the them tossed in scrambled eggs or on top of salads with black beans and avocado.