Traditional Garlic and Dill Cucumber Pickles
This is a preservation method that relies on patience and salt rather than heat. You are creating an environment where only the right microbes thrive, converting the vegetable sugars into lactic acid.
The water and the cucumber make the difference.
Use filtered water to avoid chlorine, which inhibits fermentation, and choose small, firm pickling cucumbers, not waxed salad cucumbers. The size of the cucumber determines the crunch.
- 1-quart wide-mouth glass jar
- Fermentation weight or small glass pebble
- Kitchen scale
What goes in.
- 1.5 lbpickling cucumbers, scrubbed clean
- 2 cupsfiltered water
- 1 tbspsea salt (non-iodized)
- 3 clovesgarlic, smashed
- 2 sprigsfresh dill
- 1 tspmustard seeds
The 3% Solution
Maintaining a 3% salinity—roughly 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 cups of water—is the guardrail that keeps your pickles firm and prevents spoilage.
The method.
Dissolve the salt
Whisk the salt into the filtered water until the liquid is perfectly clear. Do not use table salt with anti-caking agents.
Pack the jar
Place the dill, garlic, and mustard seeds at the bottom. Pack the cucumbers upright tightly; they should stay submerged under the brine.
Pour and weigh
Pour the brine over the cucumbers until they are covered by at least an inch. Place a weight on top to ensure no vegetable floats above the surface.
Ferment
Seal the jar loosely and keep it out of direct sunlight at room temperature. Check it daily for bubbles.
Refrigerate
After five days, taste a slice. When the tang is to your liking, move the jar to the refrigerator to halt the fermentation process.
Other turns to take.
Spicy
Add one dried chili de arbol or a few red pepper flakes to the jar before pouring the brine.
Oak-Leaf Crisp
Add one clean oak or grape leaf to the jar; the natural tannins help keep the cucumbers firm during the fermentation process.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Trim the blossom end off the cucumbers; it contains enzymes that can soften the fruit during fermentation.
If you see a thin white film on the surface, it is likely kahm yeast; skim it off and keep going.
Always use a weight. Anything floating above the brine line will likely mold.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my brine turn cloudy?
Cloudiness is a sign of a healthy lacto-fermentation process. It will clear up as the pickles settle.
Can I use tap water?
Only if your water is not chlorinated. If you aren't sure, boil and cool the water or use filtered water to ensure success.
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