Fermented Dill Pickles
The recipe below is for one 1-quart jar of about 8 pickles. Scale the recipe to make as many jars as you need.
Ingredients
- 8pickling cucumbers (a mix of large and small)
- 2 ¼ cupswater (about 532 ml; room temperature)
- 1 tbsppickling salt (about 18 g)
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 1 inchhorseradish root (peeled and sliced or diced)
- 2dill umbrellas (or 3-5 dill twigs)
- 12peppercorns (black or assorted pink, green, white and black)
- 8coriander seeds
- 2bay leaves
- 10mustard seeds
- 2 cloves(whole)
- 2berries allspice (whole)
Directions
- 1
Wash cucumbers but don't brush them off. There are lactic acid bacteria on the surface that are needed to start fermentation.
- 2
Cut off about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) off the blossom ends of cucumbers. Molds and tissue softening enzymes are known to reside in the cucumber blossom area.
- 3
Prepare 2 1/4 cups of 3.5% salt brine by whisking 1 Tbsp (18 grams) with water until the salt is dissolved.
- 4
Place half of the seasonings at the bottom of a clean 1-quart jar. Add the cucumbers. Arrange the top cucumber across the jar to prevent them from floating. Add the rest of the seasonings on top.
- 5
Pour in the brine leaving about 1/2" of headspace while making sure the cucumbers are covered with the liquid.
- 6
Attach the fermentation lid with an airlock filled with the leftover brine. Make sure that the bottom tip of the airlock stays slightly above the liquid. (see note 1)
- 7
Ferment at 64F - 72F (18C - 22C). You should see bubbles going up after about 16-24 hours when fermenting at around 68F. Longer if fermenting at lower temperatures and a bit sooner if fermenting at higher temperatures.
- 8
Ferment for 3-4 days for half-sour pickles and 8-10 days for full-sour pickles.
- 9
Taste the pickles. If you are happy with the results, place them in the fridge which will stop further fermentation. (see notes 2 and 3)