Naturally Fermented Dill Pickles
Of all the food transformations that occur in a kitchen, few are as exciting as that of a cucumber into a pickle. Not because the process is so complicated, but because it’s so simple. Salt, water and a little time in a jar are all it takes to transform a cucumber into an entirely different food. What’s truly amazing is that so many people love pickles even if they’ve never tasted a really good one. A great pickle makes your eyes widen in surprise and your tongue tingle with pleasure. The sourness should make you salivate for more, rather than pucker and wince, and the texture should have a noticeable crunch when bitten into.
If it’s so easy to transform a cucumber into a pickle, though, then why are grocery store shelves filled with so many mediocre specimens? In a word, vinegar. Many store-bought brands use vinegar to pickle cucumbers because it guarantees a sour flavor and acts as a preservative. However, this method misses the entire point of pickled food. Using vinegar instead of brine (salt + water) prevents natural fermentation from occurring. Without natural fermentation the live bacteria cultures that turn pickles into a healthy probiotic food are absent. Not to mention that when pickles are soaking in vinegar for a long time it typically results in an overly sour flavor and rather limp texture.
There are brands of naturally fermented pickles to be found in stores, although they can be expensive. Making naturally fermented pickles at home is cost effective and easy to do and the anticipation of biting into that first spear is more fun than you might think. When you taste your first homemade pickle, be prepared for an audible crunch and a pleasantly tangy flavor. It will be ever so slightly infused with garlic and dill and taste fresher and snappier than a store-bought spear.
As much as you will love your first batch of homemade pickles, also be prepared for your mind to immediately start coming up with new variations. Why not spicy pickles? How about pickles flavored with star anise or cinnamon? What about herbs besides dill? And why stop with cucumbers? Carrots, cabbage, cauliflower…pretty much any vegetable is fair game.
This recipe is for one jar of pickles but can easily be doubled, which is a good thing. Once you’ve tasted the first batch, you just might find yourself feeling that no meal is complete without a homemade pickle on the side.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 small (3-4 inches long) un-waxed cucumbers. Look for pickling or “Kirby” cucumbers which are an ideal size. Persian cucumbers can also be used but don’t always stay as crispy.
- 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- 2 tablespoons sea salt (or other non-additive salt)
- 4-8 sprigs of fresh dill
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half and smashed with a knife
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- Plus: 1 wide-mouth 16-ounce glass canning jar (sterilized in boiling water and air-dried)
- Optional seasonings: red pepper flakes, hot chiles, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, celery leaves, bay leaves, fresh herbs, onion, cinnamon stick, cloves
Instructions:
Combine salt and water and let sit until salt dissolves
After washing cucumbers, cut the tips off on both ends. Leaving the cucumbers whole or cutting them in half or into spears is a matter of personal preference. Experiment to see what you like best.
In the jar put 4 sprigs of dill, garlic cloves and peppercorns.
Tightly pack the cucumbers in the jar. Add remaining dill.
Cut one cucumber in half and set it horizontally on top of the other cucumbers –this will keep the cucumbers from floating up above the water in the jar when they shrink a little during the pickling process.
Pour the salt water into the jar. It should completely cover the cucumbers.
Set the lid loosely on top of the jar, don’t seal it. Let the jar sit undisturbed at room temperature. You’ll know fermentation has begun when you see bubbles rising to the top of the jar and the water becomes cloudy. A thin layer of white scum might also form on the surface of the water. This is harmless and can be scooped away with a clean spoon. However, trust your nose. If the pickles smell bad while fermenting, throw them out.
It will probably take 3-10 days before the pickles are done. Taste the pickles during this timeframe to see if the texture and flavor are to your liking. This is the only sure sign that your pickles are done. Once you’ve decided they’re done, tighten the lid and store the pickles in the refrigerator. Because there is no vinegar to preserve the pickles, they will only keep about a week. If the flavor of the pickles is not vinegary enough for you, try drizzling a little vinegar on the spears right before eating.
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Posted By: Worker Bee
I’m not sure about the single-jar method. When I do crock pickles, they need to be skimmed every day because of the little bits of mold and bacterial cultures that form on the top. If you don’t get them out of there, they run out of control and the whole batch gets an off flavor.
I’ve been using the method in Sandor Katz’s book, but I make smaller batches by using old slow-cooker crocks and saucers that I get at thrift stores. (The saucer gets weighted down to keep the cukes submerged.)
The fermentation takes a couple of weeks, depending on the weather, but the wait is worth it.
You inspired me to pickle some green beans
Wow! Add pickles (and pickled okra!) to the list of “reasons I can’t wait to get the garden fired up again.”
Does anybody know of a good pickling cucumber variety to grow in north Texas?
I use this same process and they keep for months *at room temp* as long as they’re plenty sour (which is a sign of lots of preserving lactic acid). They keep for well over a year in the fridge.
Some advocate a source of tannin (like oak leaves or grape leaves) to ensure crispness.
Love the idea of pickled cauliflower; will try that!
One of the things not mentioned in this post or the comments, is whether sterilization of the jars is required. Is this just a given, or is it not important with natural fermentation?
The recipe says 1 wide-mouth 16-ounce glass canning jar (sterilized in boiling water and air-dried)
I always sterilize my jars.
So it does, my bad.
Thanks Angela. =)
Hi! I included this article in the inaugural issue of Paleo Weekly (http://paleo-weekly.com/issue-1)
I ferment veggies all the time in my Perfect Pickler…check out their website. My ginger carrots and pickles are my favorite. Fermented foods have traditionally been eaten as a condiment…to aid in the process of digestion. Amazing enzymes, bacteria and probiotics. Also check out Sally Fallon and Mary Enig’s Nourishing Traditions cookbook. There is a whole chapter on fermented foods in there that will give the novice fermenter a great education. Invest in your food…invest in your health!
OK, just put together my first batch of pickles. Fingers crossed!
I have a type of scum floating amongst the pickles. Is this okay? How will I know that they have a bad smell? Is this bad smell a ‘make you want to puke’ smell? Mine smell like pickles and taste is not putrid so I take this as okay. I’m nervous about eating ‘rotted’ food that sits and festers on my counter. Let alone feeding pickles to my kids. How do I know they are bad? Is it safe to eat the ‘scum’ left on the pickles? So many questions so little time.
This is my first attempt at fermented pickles. They have been sitting for four days, but have developed white mold on the top. Have they gone bad, or should I just scrape the mold off the top? Not sure what to do from here..
Grok got this recipe from his grand-mother?
Cassle, that is the kalm, mold. Just scoop it out. It won’t hurt you. Try to keep it off the pickles as its a bit gross.
I just made some of these, and they are the best pickles I’ve ever had! Thanks for the recipe, Mark. Going to try making sauerkraut next from a recipe in Nourishing Traditions.