Basic Salt-Brined Pickles
This is a wild fermentation process, meaning you are harnessing the environment to preserve the harvest. There is no vinegar involved; the acidity is a byproduct of the vegetable's own sugars meeting the salt brine.
Firmness is your most important ingredient.
Use the freshest, smallest cucumbers you can find—ideally pickling varieties with bumpy skins. Any soft spots on the fruit will result in a mushy pickle.
- 1-quart wide-mouth glass jar
- non-reactive weight or clean glass pebble
- airlock lid or cheesecloth with a rubber band
What goes in.
- 1.5 lbKirby or pickling cucumbers, scrubbed clean
- 2 cupsfiltered water
- 1 tbspkosher salt (non-iodized)
- 2 clovesgarlic, smashed
- 1 tspmustard seeds
- 3 headsfresh dill
Submersion is non-negotiable
Every piece of vegetable must stay beneath the surface of the brine at all times. If a piece floats above the liquid, it will mold rather than ferment.
The method.
Prepare the brine
Dissolve the salt into the filtered water completely. Do not use tap water containing chlorine, as it can interfere with the fermentation.
Pack the jar
Place the garlic, mustard seeds, and dill at the bottom of the jar. Pack the cucumbers in tightly, standing them vertically if possible, to minimize empty space.
Submerge
Pour the brine over the cucumbers until they are fully covered. Place your weight on top to keep them submerged.
Ferment
Cover the jar loosely. Keep it in a cool, dark place for 5 to 7 days. You will see bubbles forming and the water turning cloudy; this is the sign that the process is working.
Finish
Once the pickles taste sour to your liking, remove the weight, seal the jar tightly, and move it to the refrigerator. They will continue to develop flavor over the next month.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the pickles develop a thin white film on the surface, that is just kahm yeast; skim it off and keep going.
Trim the blossom end off the cucumbers before pickling; the enzymes in that end can cause the cucumbers to soften prematurely.
If the brine gets cloudy, don't panic—that's exactly what you want to see.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use iodized table salt?
Avoid it. The iodine can sometimes cause the pickles to darken or leave a metallic taste, and anti-caking agents can make your brine look murky.
How do I know if they have gone bad?
Trust your nose. A successful ferment smells sour, acidic, and fresh. If you smell something rotting, putrid, or foul, discard the batch immediately.
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