Traditional Garlic and Dill Cucumber Pickles
These are lacto-fermented pickles, made by submerging small cucumbers in a simple salt brine. Over a week, the beneficial bacteria consume the natural sugars in the vegetable, creating a crisp, tangy snap that cold vinegar pickles cannot replicate.
Freshness is the only shortcut to crunch.
Select small, firm, bumpy cucumbers; if they feel soft or flexible, they will turn mushy in the brine. Keep your equipment scrupulously clean to ensure the right bacteria dominate the fermentation process.
- 1-quart glass mason jar
- non-reactive weights or a small glass pebble
- measuring spoons
What goes in.
- 1 lbKirby or pickling cucumbers
- 2 cupsfiltered water
- 1.5 tbspsea salt (non-iodized)
- 3 clovesgarlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 headsfresh dill
- 1 tspmustard seeds
Salt balance
The 3% salinity range is your safety net. Use one and a half tablespoons of salt per two cups of water to inhibit unwanted mold while allowing the lactobacillus to thrive.
The method.
Prepare the cucumbers
Wash the cucumbers in cold water. Trim 1/8 inch off the blossom end, as the enzymes there are known to soften the pickles.
Dissolve the brine
Whisk the salt into the filtered water until completely clear. Do not use tap water with high chlorine, as it can disrupt the fermentation.
Pack the jar
Place the dill, smashed garlic, and mustard seeds at the bottom. Pack the cucumbers tightly upright into the jar, leaving at least an inch of space at the top.
Submerge
Pour the brine over the cucumbers until they are fully covered. Use a weight to ensure no vegetable touches the surface of the liquid.
Ferment
Seal the jar loosely and leave it at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Taste them after 5 days; move to the refrigerator once they reach your desired level of tang.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the brine becomes cloudy, that is a normal sign of successful fermentation.
Place the jar on a small plate during the first few days, as the active bubbles may push a small amount of brine out of the lid.
Keep the pickles in the coldest part of your refrigerator to stop the fermentation process once they are ready.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my pickles go soft?
Usually because of the blossom end being left on, or temperatures that were too warm during the first few days of fermentation.
Is it safe to eat if there is white sediment at the bottom?
Yes, that is just spent yeast and salt deposits. It is a natural byproduct of the process.
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