Name: Fermented DIll Pickles
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 2-3 ea cucumbers (large) (Cut in half and quartered to fit in jars.); Filtered water to fill Jar; 2-3 sprigs Fresh Dill (or 1 tsp dried Dill); 1-2 TBLSP Pickling Spice; 2-3 Cloves Garlic, whole peeled; 1 TBSP Sea Salt (I used Himalayan Salt. Make sure salt has no fillers.); 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Peppers (or to taste if you want spicy pickles (OPTIONAL))

I am writing this today in honor of National Pickle Day!!!!! Who doesn’t love pickles? So many different flavors can be created with a few simple ingredients. These fermented dill pickles are easy to make (less than 10 min), are full of healthy probiotics (who needs pills??) and can be refrigerated for months.

This is a great recipe to make when you are overrun with pickling cucumbers in the garden or find a great sale on cucumbers at your local store or famers market. These make a great snack or can be added to your favorite meals. Help your gut and make some fermented pickles today!!

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Some notes of fermenting vegetables:

Table of Contents

Make sure all the ingredients stay under the brine by using a fermentation weight , a smaller jar, or a boiled rock on top of the packed veggies.

Make sure to use Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt for your brine mixes. Regular table salts contain fillers that will inhibit the fermentation process.

Using an airlock on your lids will help to prevent jars from exploding from the pressure created from the fermentation process. These are not expensive and will prevent you from waking up to a large mess. You can also purchase kits such as these fermentation kits. (I have not tried these, there are many brands and styles available)

If you choose not to use an airlock or kit, you can manually burp the jars daily to release the CO2. I just slowly unscrew the lids until you hear the gases escaping and the pressure on the lid goes back down.

It’s all about timing and temperature

The timing of the fermentation process has to do with temperatures of the room so this can vary greatly from house to house and room to room. Once done, place jars in refrigerater and they will store for at least 6 months.

Adding leaves such as Grape Leaves, Oak Leaves, Cherry Leaves or Mesquite leaves can help preserve the CRUNCH in the pickles. Tannins in the leaves naturally help to protect trees from pesky critters but have also been known to help pickles stay crunchy when sitting in brine. I did add a Grape leaf to one of the two jars as an experiment to see if it also alters the taste. I will report back in a couple of weeks and let you know what we thought.

Place jars on a plate or pan to collect any leakage as C02 builds up in the jars. (This is a sign that it is working as planned, don’t be afraid)

Fermented Dill Pickles Recipe:

Fermented DIll Pickles

Deliciously nutritious fermented dill pickles full of probiotics.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 12 mins

Servings 2 Quarts

Ingredients

2-3 ea cucumbers (large) Cut in half and quartered to fit in jars.
Filtered water to fill Jar

Amounts for each quart jar

2-3 sprigs Fresh Dill or 1 tsp dried Dill
1-2 TBLSP Pickling Spice
2-3 Cloves Garlic, whole peeled
1 TBSP Sea Salt I used Himalayan Salt. Make sure salt has no fillers.
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Peppers or to taste if you want spicy pickles (OPTIONAL)

Instructions

Place Dill, Pickling Spice, Crushed Red Pepper and Garlic in a clean quart jar.
Pack jar with cucumbers that have been cut in half and quartered.
Mix Salt with 1 cup of filtered water. Pour into jar. Add additional filtered water to fill jar within 1″ of the rim. Make sure all the ingredients are under the brine. You can place a fermentation weight, a smaller jar, or a boiled rock on top to prevent the cucumbers from floating.
Place a lid or a lid with airlock (preferred method) on jar. Set jars on a plate or pan to catch drips. Check one to two times a day for the next 2 to 8 days and burp the lids to release built up gases. This will prevent jars from exploding so don’t forget this step. If you are using an airlock it will automatically release the pressure and the jars will not have to be burped manually.
Check or taste pickles anytime after day 2 to see if the flavor is to your liking. The timing of the fermentation process has to do with temperatures of the room so this can vary greatly from house to house and room to room. Once done, place jars in refrigerater and they will store for at least 6 months.