Best Fermented Or Brined Pickles Recipes

HOMEMADE PICKLES WITH GARLIC AND DILL

Steps:

• Rinse the cucumbers, remove the flower end of each cucumber and place them in an ice-water bath, to crisp them up (15-30 minutes). Leave them whole.
• Mix salt (2 tablespoons) and 5 cups water until dissolved. Add the turmeric if you like (adds a fresh flavor).
• In a large, clean two-quart mason jar, place all the whole spices into the bottom. Pack one layer of cucumbers tightly, standing on end, then add garlic and onions (if using), fresh dill sprigs, chilies, bay leaves. Add another layer of cukes, standing on end.
• Press everything down, leaving an inch of headroom. Pour the salt water brine over the top and weigh down the cukes with fermentation weights so they are submerged under the brine, leaving an inch of headroom, in the jar. (Use a fermentation weight, or a small ziplock back with a little water in it ).
• Cover the jar loosely with a lid or with a cloth- basically, the pickles will bubble and you want air to be able to escape.
• Place the jar in a pan or bowl to collect any overflow and leave it in a cool dark place (60-65F) for 2 days (a basement, or lower kitchen cupboard) and check for bubbles or overflow, indicating fermentation. Half sour pickles will take 3-5 days with crisp, white interiors. If is colder than 65F, it may take longer, if hotter, they will ferment faster. Full sour pickles will take 14-21 days (see notes for the stronger saltwater ratio).
• check for signs of life: bubbles, overflow, or clouding. Tap the jar, and see if tiny bubbles rise to the top. I usually ferment for 3-5 days. Longer ferments will yield tangier pickles but will get softer as they ferment, and lose their vibrant color. Up to you. You can taste them at any point after you see bubbles, and ferment longer if you like. The brine will get cloudy as it ferments- this is a good sign! Once you see active bubbles, you can at this point place the jar in the fridge, where it will continue to ferment, but much more slowly. Keep the pickles submerged.
• Once chilled, give them taste. They should be crispy and flavorful with a little tang. (At this point, if you want a tangier or softer pickle, you can absolutely pull them back out again and ferment for a few more days longer if you want.)
• If you like fizzy brine, tighten the lid, burping every week or so or try using an airlock. If you don't want to think about it, give the lid one loose twist, so it's on there, but gases can escape.

FERMENTED OR BRINED PICKLES

Steps:

• Wash cucumbers carefully. Use only freshly harvested, slightly immature pickling variety.
• Weigh cucumbers.
• Dissolve salt in water to make brine.
• Put in a clean pickling container and cover with brine. (Cucumbers may be added during the first day or two of curing process if enough brine is added to cover them and if salt is added in definite amounts to maintain a 10% brine.
• Weight cucumbers under brine.
• Store in a cool dark place.
• Next day, add 1 cup salt for each 5 pounds of cucumbers. This is necessary to maintain a 10% brine solution. Salt must be added on top of plate or clean cloth (and not directly on the cucumbers) for even distribution throughout the brine.
• Remove scum when it forms on top of brine. The scum will destroy the acidity of the brine and result in spoilage of the product, if left on.
• At the end of the week, and for 4 or 5 succeeding weeks, add 1/4 cup salt for each 5 pounds of cucumbers. Add in the same manner as step 6.
• Fermentation resulting in bubble formation should continue about 4 weeks. Test for bubbles by tapping container on the side with your hand. As a second test, cut a cucumber in half; if it is the same color throughout and has no noticeable rings or white spots, fermentation is complete.
• Cucumbers may be kept in this 10% brine solution--no additional salt is added after they are cured--until made into pickles. The best temperature for brining cucumbers is about 70 to 75.