Primally Inspired Real food, Natural Remedies, Holistic Living
Ridiculously Easy Homemade Pickles!
At my farmer’s market, there’s an amazing pickle stand with about 12 different kinds of delicious homemade pickles. They have garlic pickles, super dilly dill pickles, sweet pickles, spicy pickles and all the flavors in between. I love my pickles so the pickle stand was a weekly must stop for me.
…..Until I realized how ridiculously easy it was to make my own homemade pickles. I’m talking really, really easy. I can’t stress to you how simple this is. Like so easy I could kick myself for spending so much of my hard earned money at the pickle stand for years and years when I could have been making them myself all this time. No canning, no special equipment – just water, salt, spices and your cucumbers! Easy peasy.
This will literally take you 10 minutes tops and in 3-7 days, you’ll have the best homemade pickles in town. I like to make a bunch of jars of pickles at one time while I have all the ingredients out. I can knock out a couple jars of pickles in no time flat.
The recipe down below is a basic recipe for old fashioned homemade easy dill pickles and it’s my very favorite, cut right out of a falling apart old, old church recipe book that I think was my grandmother’s (best kind of recipes, right?!). But, I also like to experiment with the spices, add some hot peppers to one jar, add extra garlic to another jar – you get the idea.
Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about the second best part of this recipe – or maybe it’s the first best part, I can’t decide between this and how easy they are. These pickles are lacto-fermented, which means they contain the really good, beneficial bacteria (probiotics!). So eating these will help heal our gut lining, provide anti-inflammatory benefits, give us better digestion, strengthen our immune system, and turn us into super heroes. Okay maybe not so much the last part, but I sure feel like a super hero when everyone who eats these pickles tells me how amazing they are 🙂
Ridiculously Easy Homemade Dill Pickles
Makes 1 quart sized jar
Ingredients:
cucumbers
2 cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of fresh dill (the flowered heads of the dill taste the best for these pickles, so use them if you can get them)
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp whole peppercorns
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon sea salt
optional ingredients:
handful of fresh grape, raspberry, oak, blackberry or cherry leaves (these types of leaves supply tannins, which help keep the pickles crispy and crunchy)
onion or a clean rock piece to weigh the cucumbers down and keep them submerged in the brine
DIRECTIONS:
Decide what size pickles you would like and cut your cucumbers into your desired size. Keep in mind that sliced cucumbers will ferment faster than whole cucumbers. Pack your cucumber slices into your jar. Pack them tight! Add the spices on top. Mix the water and sea salt together until the salt is dissolved. Pour your water/salt over the pickles. Leave about an inch of space between the water and the top of the jar. All the cucumbers must be submerged in the water. If you are having trouble getting them totally submerged, you may need to add a “weight” to the jar to keep them submerged. I like to add a big chunk of onion. Not only does the onion give great flavor, but it does a good job of keeping the cucumbers under the water. You may also add a clean rock if you don’t want to use an onion.
Put a top on your jar and leave on the counter for 3 days. Test a pickle on day 3. If it is to your liking, put the jar in the fridge. This stops the fermentation process. You won’t have to worry about keeping the pickles submerged once they go in the fridge. If the pickles are not to your liking, keep testing them each day. You know they are perfect when they taste great to you and they still have their crunch. If you leave them out on the counter too long, they will lose their crunch and get really soft so it’s important to put them in the fridge when they are to your liking. No one likes a limp pickle 😉
If you start to see a white film or mold on top, just skim it off. It is harmless (just yeast!), but it will impact the taste of the pickles, so you want to skim it off as soon as you see it.
Your pickles will keep for 6 months in the fridge. Enjoy!
Step by step picture instructions:
Pickling cucumbers are the best for making pickles, but any cucumbers will work. I use plain old regular cucumbers most of the time because I can get them easier. I will say that regular cucumbers have more seeds and sometimes don’t get as crunchy as the pickling cucumbers. Mini cucumbers are also great for pickles!
You can leave the cucumbers whole, but they take longer to ferment. You can cut them in halves or in spears or even cut them in coins. The smaller you cut them, the shorter the fermentation process.
The recipe calls for a 1 quart jar. You can use any size jar, though! Pack your cucumbers in tight! I can usually pack 1 to 1 1/2 regular large cucumbers in one quart sized jar.
Some tips on spices: The flowered dill heads taste the best, but use what you can find. I only had the sprigs of dill this time so that’s what I used. I also ran out of coriander seeds, so ground coriander it is this time around! Get creative with your spices if you are feeling brave. Want your pickles extra hot? Add some more red pepper flakes. Want them super garlicy? Add some more garlic. Have fun with creating your own homemade pickle creations!
Once you figure out your spices, add them right on top of the cucumbers.
You will need 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of sea salt for every quart. If your jar is bigger, just make another 2 cups water/1 T sea salt mix and add it to your jar. You want to completely cover the cucumbers but make sure to leave a one inch head space so the gases can release in the fermentation process. Your cucumbers MUST be submerged at all times during the fermentation process. If they are not staying down in the brine, you will need to “weigh” them down. If this happens, I like to use a cut onion to weigh them down. The onion gives great flavor and does a really good job of keeping everything submerged in the water. You may also use a clean rock. Once the pickles are submerged in the brine, put the lid on the jar and leave it on your counter. If you see a white film or mold develop on top, open the jar and skim it off. This is harmless (it’s just yeast!), but it can impact the flavor of the pickles so skim it off as soon as you can if you see it.
No comment now later when I try these pickles
Hope you like them Kathy!
How do you make sweet pickles? I don’t really care for the dill ones.
Does this work for okra?
Yes! 🙂 It will probably be ready in far shorter time, though. I’d test it out after 1 day.
Hi, I was wondering if you have to use a canning jar, or can I re-use a jar I have saved? Thanks for your help.
Sharon
You can for sure re-use a jar! Hope you like them 🙂
Sharon, you can only use Jars that seal. saved peanut butter jars and such do not seal. but re-washing and sterilizing your old used canning jars, for sure as you were informed
Ok, so I’ve only ever had the vinegary pickles from the store. Do these get vinegary? I like the vinegary bite to them, but I’m always willing to try new things. lol.
Yes! They taste sour just like store pickles. The store pickles add vinegar as a cheap and easy way to get that sour taste. But we get the real deal through the fermentation (plus we get all those great probiotics that way!).
These turned out really good!!! Thanks for the great recipe. I had no idea it was so easy!
Awesome, so glad you were able to make some 🙂
Omg. So good I can’t believe it. And easy!
I know! I love it! 🙂 So glad it worked out for you!
Made these, they’re SO GOOD! Thanks for posting this! I don’t understand how it ferments, but it does and it’s delicious. Do you think it’ll work on other vegetables? Cabbage, carrots, radishes, etc?
Yes!! Cabbage, carrots, jalapenos, etc.! So happy you like these as much as me!!
Couple of questions:
What in the ingredients makes this a probiotic? Just curious 🙂
And I followed directions and left it out for 3 1/2 days. I went to test tonight and they are already soggy…?!
Hi Stephanie!
It’s the fermentation process that gives us the great/beneficial bacteria that makes it a probiotic. Here’s a quick run-down of what happens during that fermentation process:
The salt from our brine wipes out any of the bad bacteria. What is left are good bacteria called Lactobacillus and those are probiotics! These Lactobacillus break down the sugars in the cucumbers and convert it to lactic acid and other beneficial substances.
If you live in a hot climate or if your house is very warm, maybe 3 1/2 days is too long. I’ve recently heard about some people living in Texas and Arizona only having to ferment for a day and a half because of the heat! But, if not, you should definitely include some of those blackberry, raspberry or grape leaves in your next batch. Those really do help make and keep them crispy. You may also want to try pickling cucumbers – they don’t get as soft as regular cucumbers.
Thank you for the quick run down 🙂
You hit the nail on the head, I live in Texas. Once I put them in the refrigerator they got crispier, thank you they are yummy 🙂
Hi Stephanie-I use a 1/4 teaspoon of black tea per quart to get the tannins and works great…I just break open a black tea bag. Also 2 other conditions ensures crisp pickles 1. if cukes are not picked fresh soak then in ice water for 30min. 2. cut off the blossom end of the cuke for whole pickles if not doing slices. Thanks for putting out your recipe YES it is very easy good and good for you.
Thanks for the tips, Theresa – awesome!!
My first jar is made and on the counter! Can’t wait til day 3!! So easy and hoping my hubby loves these better than yucky, chemical-laden store-bought ones that he always wants. Used pickling cucumbers so we’ll see how it goes. Looking forward to this becoming our new pickle.
I hope it works out for you and hope it gets the hubby’s seal of approval, too 🙂
I made these pickle sand day three of sitting they got moldy on top. I went by every step of your recipe. Has this happened to you?
Yes! It’s just yeast and it’s harmless, but it can affect the flavor so you want to skim it off as soon as you see it. To prevent this from happening, you need to make sure the pickles are totally submerged in the brine. You probably need to weigh them down with a rock or an onion to make sure they stay under that brine. As long as they are in the brine, they won’t develop the yeast on top. Hope that helps!
Today is day 3 and they taste good but the brine got murky on day 2 should i have poured off the brine and should i now put the pickles in clean water now that they are done.= or refrigerate in cloudy brine.
You can do either, Frances. The pickles are already filled with the flavor and fermented, so you can either keep them in the brine or put them in clearer water and put them in the fridge. I usually just keep them in the brine because I’m too lazy to do the extra step. But if the murky water bothers you, definitely throw it out and replace with clean water.
the liquid turned a bit cloudy is normal, and it is safe to consume.
Hi Edba, yes, it will get very cloudy – that’s a good sign that it’s working 🙂
These were awesome! I go through at least one jar of pickles a week so I’m loving this healthy, no junk version!
Perfect 🙂
Do hot peppers take longer to ferment? I stuck a few in with my pickles and they didn’t really have the same briny taste…
Hi Candice, It sounds like they probably do take a little longer to ferment if they didn’t taste sour/briny. I ferment all kinds of vegetables, but I always do them separately so I don’t have any experience/advice with doing cucumbers and peppers at the same time.
I definitely want to try this, so if I have an extra warm house ( by extra warm I mean my coconut oil stays in completely melted form just being on my counter for an hour) so should I be trying the pickles in a day or two instead of three? Helpful to have clarification than!
Hi Jessica! Yes you probably should. Since I’ve posted this, I’ve been reading around the web that fermenting like this in super warm climates sometimes only takes a day and a half or two. Good luck!!
Can I reuse the liquid to ferment new cucumber? And how many days for cabbage and carrot.
Amy, yes you can reuse the liquid. I think it’s pretty standard to use about a cup of the leftover liquid for your new batch and then make enough new brine to cover the cucumbers. When you do this, you jump start the fermentation process, so it will take a lot less time! Also, the juice is the best part and carries much of the probiotics, so definitely don’t throw it away! Drink it, add some to soups, stews, or save it – it’s really great for cold and flu season (a natural cold medicine!!) and will really strengthen your immune system 🙂
It should take the same amount of time for lacto-fermented cabbage and carrots – the best method is the taste test after 3 days! (unless you live in a really hot climate – then check it at 1 1/2 – 2 days) Depending on how sour you like it or the climate, some people have even let it ferment 10-14 days. So your best bet is to keep tasting it each day.
It’s also a classic hangover remedy. (Bear in mind that most folkloric hangover cures are totally BS, and staying hydrated/not actually drinking too much in the first place is the only real prevention – but most of them have a grain of truth to them, and pickle juice does help get water and electrolytes into the cells that are screaming for it.)
It’s easier to make these pickles than to leave a comment here.
Strain the left over juice, and freeze it as pickle pops. I love them, the kids do too.
Woah pickle pops!!! I need to try that!
I have kosher salt.. canning salt and table salt. Will any of those work?
Hi Christine! Yes, any of those should work.
You shouldn’t use table salt or any salt containing iodine. The iodine interferes with the fermentation process and often results in off-colored and off-tasting pickles. Kosher, pickling and sea salts without iodine work best. I usually weigh the salt because finer grained salts result in a saltier brine then larger grained salts. Also avoid chlorinated water. Filtered and spring water works best. Also, if you’re pickles are fermenting in a hot environment (above 72°) adding just a teaspoon of plain white vinegar helps to keep them mold-free without adding much flavor. Hope these tips help and happy fermenting 🙂
Great tips!!! Thank you!! 🙂
I can’t wait to try these!!! I will be saving so much money, too! Thank you!
So true!! Hope you love them!
Is there any way to make these so you can store them in your pantry rather than the refrigerator? I would love to make a bunch of these but don’t have the room in the refrigerator. Also can you use dried dill if you don’t have fresh dill on hand? Thanks!!
Amy, You can store pickles indefinitely if you have a cold storage. The secret is to store them cool enough to stop fermentation. Canning and preserving was a common method of food preparation in your grandma’s time. If you live in an old house and there is a cold storage room in the basement (or a cold spot in your basement) try storing a jar there and see if they last.
Dwight
Hi, I really want to make these pickles, but can I use jarred grape leaves, as I can’t find fresh? This recipe sounds so easy and yummy!
Hi Julie! I am not sure the answer to that question. My gut is telling me that it’s not going to work with jarred, but I will look into that and get back to you!
How long will the pickles keep for if not opened? Are they just like canned pickles? Or do they have a shelf life?
Hi Tyler! They must be put in the refrigerator or else they will keep fermenting and just turn to mush. They will last awhile in the fridge, though – a year or two!
Did a little researching and I still didn’t find the answer to the jarred grape leaves BUT I did find out you can use tea leaves! Awesome!
You mean dried tea leavies? Or after socking soft tea leavies?
Yes, dry tea leaves!
Quick question on using the leaves- I have a lovely big oak tree in my front yard, and would like to try using the leaves. Do you cut them at all? Or place them in whole. Do you take them out when fermentation is complete? Thanks!!
I also have an oak tree in my front yard and was wondering if I can just grab one off the tree and also do we leave it in when it goes in the fridge or not? Thanks!
I made these last night. I did an additional 2 jars of slices. How long do you think it will take for these? I’m guessing 24hr since there is so much more surface area. Anyone have any experience with these?
I made these last week, I checked them after 3 days and every day after for a total of 5 days of fermentation. I tested one last night before putting it in the fridge. It wasn’t bad, not great, but I figured it would be pretty decent once it was chilled. I was wrong. I tried it this morning and it was disgusting. Way salty and the liquid had a viscosity to it that was not OK – ever leave dishwater too long and it becomes almost syrupy? I used regular cucumbers as well as Kosher salt. I imagine the salty came from the Kosher (I’ll use sea salt as directed next time) but what is up with the mushy pickles nasty liquid? Aside from the cukes and salt I followed the directions to the letter – what did I do wrong?
I got this from epicurious…. Pickling salt is free of the additives found in table salt, which can discolor homemade pickles. The popular brand Mrs. Wages is available online at http://www.canningpantry.com/pickling-salt.html. If you use regular table salt, the pickles will taste fine, but they may turn dark, with cloudy liquid. Do not substitute kosher salt, as the difference in texture can result in incorrect measurements.
• “The pr
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fast-Favorite-Garlic-Dill-Pickles-230707#ixzz2XJWTt9jT
Awesome, Thank you so much Jen! The cloudy liquid didn’t both me at all, but for those that are bothered by it, this is great news! Thanks again 🙂
Your welcome! Thanks for the recipe. I have found pickling salt at my local supermarket…
I also have a note on my pickle recipe to use only salt WITHOUT iodine. That’s probably what turns it cloudy and colored.
What a great idea!
I just made a bunch of glasses and can’t wait to try them. I didn’t have all the ingredients at home so I just improvised with black tasmaniam pepper, ginger, shallots, habanero chili, dill and cranberries. but as far as I understand it, the salt is responsible/the important ingredient when it Comes to the Fermentation process. so I do hope to have some delicious, self-pickled cucumbers within a few days.
thank you very much for the Inspiration! I love your Website and recipes.
Natalie
How do you think if I use whey instead of water, since I just made some whey and don’t know how to use it.
I’m not sure, Amy! I haven’t used whey for this so I can’t really be of much help. Here’s an article from one of my fellow bloggers that might really help you with what to do for it. Let me know what you end up doing – I’d like to try using whey!
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.html
I used whey to replace water, worked so well, need only one day already salty and sour. Then I picked all the cucumbers out and refilled new fresh cucumbers.
Some people don’t eat fermented vegetables since they think they are Nitrite created while during the process of ferment. Want to know if is true or any way to avoid it.
Hi Amy, I wasn’t quite sure the answer to this so I searched online for some answers.
One article I found fascinating said:
They are actually saying you should eat a small amount of fermented veggies with every meal to prevent the conversion of nitrates to nitrosomines (which is what is so harmful to the human body).
Quote: “Lactobacillus offer a huge suite of benefits, to the extent that the cultures who regularly consume fermented foods are the longest living people on the planet. Lactobacillus can stop the conversion of nitrates to nitrosamines, so a couple of spoonfuls of sauerkraut or kimchi with your sausages or pepperoni pizza can help neutralise the negatives.”
Thank you for the answer, it’s useful.
I see that you can use oak leaves. I can just pick some leaves off an oak tree and use them? What about wild raspberry and blackberry bushes? I can use those leaves too? I’m getting excited for my cucumbers to grow so I can make this recipe!
Yes, all of those would be perfect to use!
My father use to make his own pickles in a vintage pottery jar. At times, his pickles were soggy, not crunchy and he was told to use distilled water. Some or our water has a lot of minerals which can affect the outcome.
Vickie, that’s so great to know! I’m definitely not an expert pickle maker so I wasn’t sure what to tell those that were getting soggy pickles besides using leaves with tannins. This is very helpful – thank you!!
Fermenting my second batch, the first batch was a fail. If it isn’t the salt and cucumber (I used Kosher salt and regular cukes last time) then I don’t know what it is. I’ll let you know in a couple days how these turn out now that I have the proper ingredients. If these are a no-go, I’ll try the distilled water and see what happens. I am determined to make awesome pickles!
Arron, I hope they work out for you. The distilled water idea from Vickie sounds like it may do the trick (crossing my fingers). The kosher salt shouldn’t be a problem. The regular cukes definitely get a little more soft than pickling ones, but I’ve been using regular ones and mine don’t get soggy unless I let it ferment too long.
Keep me posted!!
Batch number 2 was a fail. I’m really not sure what I’m doing wrong. I boiled the jars to ensure they were sterile before assembling. They started out OK, after about 32 hours (I’m impatient) I marked a jar for testing and they weren’t bad. They just didn’t have the full-on pickley flavor yet. I gave them the full 3 days (an additional 32 hours)and tested the same jar again. They were mostly mush and the flavor just wasn’t right. Perhaps they are turning out the way they are intended and I just don’t like them. Who knows. The other very un-appetizing issue I’m having is that not only does the liquid get cloudy after the first 24 hours, it gets a weird viscosity to it as well. Any ideas?
It sounds like maybe you’re expecting the extremely tart vinegar flavor of store bought pickles… maybe try a vinegar based pickle recipe instead of a brine one?
I read somewhere that it was a must to cut the the flower end of the cucumber off before jarring pickles. There is something (?) contained in the flower end of the cuke that causes pickles to turn to mush. You should never have to use any crisping agents if you do this. I haven’t tried it yet but will when I make my pickles soon. I have also read giving your cukes an ice bath for at least 3 hours is supposed to help too.
I have made these several times and they are wonderful!! I live in Alabama and only had to leave them out for a day and half and they were done. They don’t have the vinegary bite (sour) like store bought but I really like them better. Also I put a grape leaf in after they had been in the fridge for a week and they did get crunchier (they were already crisp) Thanks so much for the recipe!
I have my own cucumbers that I grew waiting to become pickles and I can’t find a mustard seed any where in this town!!! Amazing to me. Going to try again tomorrow.
Finally found mustard seed! Have mine with extra garlic, extra dried pepper flakes, and a few dried peppers. Can’t wait to try them.
BY ANY CHANCE HAVE YOU EVER MADE HOMEMADE GIARDINIERA?
I hope to be harvesting my cukes in August. That gives me plenty of time for a couple of trial runs before then. My 9 year old is a pickle fiend and I am hoping these will be a big hit. What was the answer to the question about keeping them in the pantry vs the fridge?
Awesome – I hope he likes them Emily!
If you wanted to keep them in the pantry, you’ll have to go through the regular canning process. You definitely can’t keep this recipe in the pantry because they’ll turn to a slimy mushy mess. These are so simple to make, though, that to me, it’s no big deal to make a batch or two every week or every other week 🙂
I just read on Epicourious (from a different recipe) not to use kosher salt..(see reply to another post), which will cause cloudiness. It said to use pickling salt, which does not have additives. Can we use pickling salt in the same amount? This recipe does not have vinegar, or am I missing something, thanks!
Yes, pickling salt sounds like the answer if you don’t want cloudy liquid – thank you so much for that info!
Vinegar is the “cheap, easy” way to get homemade pickles to taste sour like fermented pickles. You can certainly find a recipe that uses vinegar and they will be delicious. But the way I have posted is the old fashioned way of making pickles through fermentation. I’m a huge fan because you get all the probiotic health benefits this way that you won’t get from vinegar pickles 🙂
Hi there. I’ve made these pickles many, many times for my children and I. They ask an arm and a leg in the stores for these fermented dills! Love that you’ve shared this oh so simple and easy recipe!
Love hearing this – thank you! 🙂
okay! I made these up with my girls on Wednesday…it’s now Saturday (early Sunday morning) and my husband tested them this evening, and said that they are still very cucumber tasting. He was brave, I was afraid to try one because the liquid is so murky looking! Eek! It smells fine, and I have not seen any mold, only lots of bubbles….. After you are done with the fermenting process, can you take it out of that liquid, or should you keep them in it? Also, the coloring on the pickles is all crazy. I expected them to dull, but it’s rather uneven, some of the pickle looks darker than other parts….is that normal too?
oh, and I used pickling salt in place of the sea salt…murky “lake” water is what it looks like nevertheless! 🙁
I made my first batch tonight. I only had wide mouth pint jars which would not hold all of the 2 cups of salt water. Will that affect my outcome? I was reading elsewhere that the salt ratio was most important so my ratio is now skewed. I mixed the sea salt in 2 cups of water for each jar separately.
Hi, Thanks for the recipe. do you think the pickles can be canned via the heating process after fermentation so they don’t need to be refrigerated. Thanks, Henry
Yes you COULD do that but why bother? If you’re going to KILL the probiotics ten you may as well just use vinegar and have done wit it. I mean that makes as much sense as washing down lipitor with heavy cream. Besides, canned food is dead food. Refrigerated ferments will last a year or longer. What more could you possibly ask for?
Should I turn the jars over or shake them to stir up spices?
I just picked my pickling cucumbers from my garden. I have never grown them before and I am getting so many…I don’t know if I have enough jars…I am so excited to try your recipe!
So mine started bubbling after about a day, and now (2 days after making) they taste more fermented than pickled. Is that right?
I am looking forward to trying this recipe–my kids love pickles, but I don’t like all the junk that is added to the commercial ones. I have plastic 1qt soup containers (think take out soup container)–can I use these instead of the glass jar?
well, I tossed them. I didn’t think they tasted like dill pickles at all. I used pickling salt, so that wasn’t the problem. I’m looking for another recipe. Thanks anyway!
Bummer! So sorry they didn’t work out for you!
Can I add vinegar to the recipe? Or use it in place of water? Will the vinegar keep it from fermenting properly? I like my pickles really sour. Is it okay to use any pickle recipe and just leave them out on the counter to ferment without sealing them? I got some Armenian cucumbers from the farmers market that I want to use. Will these work just like regular cucumbers? Thanks so much!
QUESTION: Do you boil the water …or simply use room-temp?
Most of the recipes I found call for “boiling” the water (with salt, spices) in order to make the brine; then pouring the “HOT” brine directly onto the pickles.
Your recipe mentions nothing about boiling or heating of any kind. Do you simply add all the spices to room-temperature water?
Thanks.
I was wondering the same to JJ’s question regarding boiling the water with the salt and spices and pouring over the cucumbers in the jar? or is boiled and cooled and put in the jar? or simple disolve the salt in water at room temperature and pour over cucumbers and spices in the jar?
thank you thank you
Joy
Hi Joy! I do not boil my water, but many people do. If you want to boil your water, do so and then let it cool a bit before stirring in the salt and pouring it into the jar. Hope that helps!
ok how come you can not preserve them I don’t like to keep my stuff in fridge no room
txs
You cannot can fermented foods – the fermentation gas/bubbles would build up and explode the jars!
Use a regular recipe for canned pickles if you don’t have a refrigerator.
Fermented foods are put in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process.
Hi. I’m going to try this recipe with our bumper crop of cukes tomorrow. So excited! When you go to store them in the fridge do you store them in the pickling solution or do you dump that out first? Do you refill it with another solution or are they just in the jar by themselves? So excited that I don’t have to boil (can) my jars!
Hi! I have everything ready to go and realize I need sea salt!! Can I use table salt? If not how long can I keep the cut and spiced up cucumbers in the jar before adding the water?
Made these pickles right before I went out of town for four days. That was the perfect amount of time to let them ferment. I was worried about mushiness, so I added some raspberry leaves from our bush out back. They are perfect, just perfect. And they are a great use of our resources – abundant cukes from our CSA, spices from our co-op, and raspberry leaf, peppers, dill and garlic from our garden (I skipped red pepper flakes and just went ahead and pickled some peppers in with the cukes – BEST IDEA EVER, thanks Peter Piper). Re used a large tomato sauce jar, to boot. Now looking for a second jar so I can make another batch while I finish off the first. So good.
Getting ready to try a batch of pickles. They sound amazing. Just curious…I have an abundance of zucchini in the garden right now and wondered if you have made zucchini pickles?
Not yet, but I love that idea – I’m going to try it!
Not enough salt can cause slimy brine. Vinegar can be used to stop fermentation after they hit the “sweet spot.”
I’m trying you recipe in this very moment and a couple of questions pop up.
1. do you wash the cucumbers?
I washed mine in cold water, does that remove the good bacterias?
2. can I use rock salt? Does it have the same preservative effect?
I only have Himalayan, it’s not as salt as sea salt. Should I go and buy som sea salt?
Kind regards
Annette
I made this recipe and my pickles on the third day checking them they was moldy. Has anyone had that happen to them?
It wasn’t the cloudy part, there was mold on the top.
A small tip for keeping the pickles underwater (in the brine).
Because it’s fermenting, small bubbles of carbon dioxide form and as they float their way up, they can push the pickles up to the surface. (This is really a problem with something like sauerkraut, which tries to form a floating mat.) If you have a crock pot you can use a plate that’s just a little smaller than the pot. But a typical jar has a narrower opening so there’s always places your rock-weight is missing.
What I did was to take a snap-on plastic lid, cut it to the right size, and pop it in like a diaphragm. 😉 Add brine to cover the plastic piece. Even if the pickles try to float up, they can’t get past the internal lid.
Happy fermenting everyone!
brilliant! Thank you, Liz!!
Just made my first attempt with making these pickles. We’ll see how they turn out.
What is a T of sea salt?
Sorry, Thelton – it’s a tablespoon!
This recipe may be the best thing I’ve discovered in years! The pickles turned out far tastier, fresher, and crispier than store bought and even my 4 year old agreed. Followed recipe exactly except I didn’t have fresh dill so I used dried and added dried tea leaves. Turned out perfect, will make again and again.
what causes the fermentation? I thought vinegar did that.
Nevermind. I see the answer is up there^.
We have just stumbled across you and we want to say Thank you, we have just picked a load of cucumbers from the garden, the jars are in the dishwasher and we are all set to go. My Husband loves cucumbers done like this. Can’t wait to try them ?)
Mollie and Alfie
I made a few jars and some are really cloudy, are they still OK to eat. xx
Yes! If the cloudiness bothers you, you can dump it out and fill it with fresh salt water (only do this after they are fermented – not in the middle of the fermentation process). Mine get very cloudy and that doesn’t bother me, so I just leave it like that 🙂
I tried this recipe and it came out very salty. I used pickling salt instead of sea salt. Also do you boil the water before putting the salt into it or just use room temp?
I am pickling two batches at this time. I use a Perfect Pickler. One batch is sliced cucumbers and the other is whole cukes. The sliced have bubbles but he whole ones don’t. Do you know why? I’ve only pickled chopped veggies in the past so the whole pickles are new to me. Any suggestions?
Excited to try these!
Just a question…do you seal the jar when leaving it on your counter or leave the lid loose enough for air to escape? I am new to all this and I am reading that some people do but then others don’t seem to..? Thanks for the help!
oh Honey, these sound wonderful and extremely easy to make. BUT is there a way I can print the recipe so I don’t have to keep going in the other room to see what’s next and forgetting by the time I get back to the kitchen. PLEASE AND THANK YOU
you could always copy/paste the instructions onto a word processing program (A.K.A. notepad *pre-installed on most windows pc’s*) and print it out
Do you have to use hot water? Boiling water? Or is room temp ok? I did it with water straight from my filter. Not sure now if they will work after reading more about pickling.
Can i use celery seed in the place of mustard seed, or is the mustard seed required? i’m not too fond of mustard seed, but i do love dill pickles and was wondering if substituting celery for mustard seed would affect the recipe too much. please respond to my e-mail (if you respond at all) at Koguntetzu@gmail.com
I think celery seed would be wonderful!
Tried your recipe out!
Apparently 3 days is too much. Its fall in a cold climate but my warm house may be too much? They were cloudy after a day as well, and at 3 days testing them are mushy. I used unrefined sea salt (Redmonds ‘Real Salt’), pickling cucumbers, and a sterile mason jar with an onion to weigh them down. The taste is salt then BAM hot hot hot lol. I didn’t use some ingredients separate as I could not find them so used a pickling spice blend. Maybe added to much of the pepper flakes? Not a bad taste, although shocking. I like hot and the cloudy seems safe from what I could find (could even be my hard water). Won’t be sharing with the family though haha. Going to try again for a shorter time and really cut back on the spicy ingredients, maybe add more dill. This is a promising recipe but I haven’t quite nailed it! Hopefully I can still make use of or drink the cloudy liquid since it should be full of the good stuff!
I hear you! This recipe sometimes takes a few tries to get it just perfectly to the way you like the taste and texture. I’m glad you are sticking with it 🙂 I save the pickle juice and add a bit to soups or stews when the soups are done cooking. You can’t taste it and it’s a good way to get extra probiotics.
Do the grape leaves have to be right off the vine or can you use brined grape leaves?
IS THERE A RECIPE FOR SWEET OR BREAD & BUTTER PICKLES USING THIS FERMENTATION METHOD?
I’m sorry but I have to disagree with your recipe. These aren’t fermented pickles, those take weeks and a lot of skimming to make, what your making is simply refrigerator pickles, three days isn’t near enough time to get the whole fermentation process really going.
Now please don’t get me wrong, the type of pickles you have here are really good and easy for the beginner to make, I know I make them a lot myself, but there can’t be probiotics in them without true fermentation.
Sorry.
Yes, these are definitely fermented and definitely contain probiotics! Refrigerated pickles have vinegar to produce the sour taste. The sour taste from these pickles comes from the fermentation process.
Can you water bath or pressure can these to make them last longer? How would that affect the fermentation process/mushy vs. crunchy?
Hi Megan, I am not sure. I have a feeling it would make them very mushy, but I don’t know for sure!
you said that DRY TEA LEAVES are usable. Perhaps flavored ones? so many different kinds of tea— I have wild grapes growing—–these leaves would work ok ? Gotta wait for summer for that—lol but am going to try the dry tea leaves—
dill is good what about a sweet pickle recipe?
Made these per the recipe this past summer. Made some changes to the ingredients. Since I don’t like dill, I made them into Deli Garlic Pickles just like the ones you see in the Jersey delis in big wooden casks (add a lot more garlic). Came out perfect and crunchy(added pickle crisp). Wish I made more than 10 qts. Guess who is going to make a ton of Garlic pickles in 2014?
Sweet!!!!
I’ve made these dill pickle’s many time’s. They are wonderful. For those of you looking for a “sweet” version: 5 C water, 3 c vinegar, 2/3 C ( scant) pickling salt, 1/2 t alum or grape leaves, 1 1/2 C ( or more) sugar. Depending on how sweet you want.
Prepare pickling cuke’s as desired ( I slice them 1/2 in) Add to jar’s. Bring above ingredients to a boil. Pour over cuke’s. Put in the sunshine. Next day, pour out liquid and bring to a boil again. Repeat for three days. Taste each time you re-boil.
They are crunchy, sweet, and simple… Enjoy!
Thank you so much, Sally!! Your information will be so helpful to so many!
We live in Italy and can’t find dill pickles. I want to make this recipe but can only find dried dill (from the Jewish Quarter). Can I use dried dill instead of a fresh sprig? If so how much?
Hi Jon! Yes, dried dill is fine to use. Usually the rule of thumb is to use 1/3 the amount dried that you would fresh. Hope that helps! Oh and one more thing – I (and many others who’ve messaged me) have been most successful cutting the cukes in half rather than spears.
I am from Poland and our simple recipy calls for cucumber, dill flower heads, garlic, salt and horseradish leaves, if u can get hand on those I would highly recommend. But I also have to advice they are quite sour.
I have been making pickles like this for years. How else would you make them? Just curious.
Some people make them with vinegar. We make them the traditional way (the best way!) 🙂
We have heard about using currant bush leaves from a Polish person. Have you heard about this?
I work at a restaurant and want to do this, I’m throwing away to many cucumbers! My question is that I don’t have access to a pickling jar, would I be able you use an old glass jar with a metal lid, like from a big thing of cherry peppers. Would that work or to much pressure?
Do you have a recipe for sweet pickles?
Go 9 posts above yours for a sweet version!
Just made a jar this morning and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. This will be my first time making pickles the traditional way (instead of vinegar) and I’m super excited; thanks for the recipe!
Hi,
I loved this recipe, first time I made it- pickles came out perfectly! The second and third time, not so much 🙂 The seed part of the pickles were dark brown and tasted off- like they had gone bad. Ok.. so I tried a third time and it was better- no brown center- but still not right. I am doing all the same things each time. I use Real Salt and everything organic spice-wise. What am I missing here- any thoughts? P.s. thanks for your wonderful site! Just found it and I love it 🙂
I am getting ready to make these today. I have a question about the salt water, which I see other people have asked, but I don’t see the answer; is the water cold or boiled? Thank you!
I’d like to try asparagus spears. Do I use the same ingredients as for pickles? Also read somewhere where someone reuses the liquid in Bubbies Dill Pickles to do a homemade batch. Your thoughts? Thank you
Yes, Linda – same ingredients for asparagus spears. And yes, you can reuse the liquid in Bubbies Pickles, too 🙂
Hi,
Im from Germany, I loved this recepie ,ist the first time making pickles.I really dont know what i made wrong.In the 3erd day the Garlick the turn a blue like Color! what an i missing or doing wrong? Thank you!
Perfectly normal and okay to eat.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/preserving-gourmet-garlic-pickling-zbcz1401.aspx#axzz39Ypfggj0
I just made my first jar of dill pickles from your website and did a taste taste 1 1/2 days after the 3 day countdown. It seems just fine so I’m putting my jar into the refrigerator. I’m afraid to wait the full 3 days because since I live in Hawaii, it’s very warm and this this my first batch of home grown cucumbers. I have one question-should I remove the grapes leaves and dill sprigs after fermentation? My grandson will be visiting me for the summer in a week so the pickles will be ready for him when he comes. Thank you for the dill cucumber recipie!
I don’t blame you about not wanting to go the whole 3 days since you live in Hawaii! It doesn’t matter if you leave them in or take them out. I usually leave them in because I’m too lazy (or forgetful) to take them out 🙂
Great recipe! I made these a couple of days ago. Just tasted them and they are perfect. Nice and sour, not too salty and very crisp and crunchy. Thanks!
Awesome!
I am delighted with how these turned out, Kelly! The brine is perfectly proportioned. I did one pint of spears, using garlic, fresh dill, dill seed, coriander seed, mustard seed and chili pepper, etc. Then I made a jar of slices, using only garlic, fresh dill and dill seed. For both preparations, I removed the stem end of the cucumbers and added wild grape leaves from my garden. They are equally fantastic. I’m not sure if it’s removing the stem or adding the grape leaves, but these pickles are wonderfully crunchy. My husband, who does not like vinegar, told me they’re the best pickles he’s ever tasted. Cheers to you!
PS – I don’t mind the cloudy brine. My favorite pickles – either from barrels on the Lower East Side of NYC, or from a jar of Ba-Tampte – are always in a cloudy brine. That’s how you know they are the real deal.
So great to hear 🙂 🙂
Just about to try this recipe for the first time but wanted to know about a cherry leaf. I have cherry trees but not the actual fruit tree. Can I use the leaves from this tree to keep the pickles crispy or should I look for an oak tree leaf?
Your cherry tree leaves will be great, Jerry!
Thank you for your quick reply! I will let you know how it comes out.
Well, I followed your directions to a tee. I am impressed. We had a heat wave and had the cool air in the house for the three days and the pickles on the counter. Could see the fermentation going on and tried it after three days. Not quite done so I left it going another day. Perfect! Crispy! My cucumbers are coming in like a wave on the vine now. Gonna have to buy more jars. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I could only find grape leaves in brine. Is that ok? I’m starting them now..
I am not 100% sure, Sue. I guess we’ll find out 🙂
I have fig and pecan trees. Can I use either leaves in this recipe?
Yes, that would work! And lucky you – I’d love to have a fig tree!
I am on my second batch and decided to use whole cucumbers. Same recipe and know it will take some extra time. My family absolutely loves the spears. As good as the store bought! I wish I knew of this years ago!
So glad to hear, Jerry! I have been loving the whole cucumbers lately – hope you guys do, too!
I’ve noticed a few people asking this question, but have seen no answer. . . I have the same question.
Do you boil the water/salt mixture, or just use room temp?
Hi there! I personally don’t boil the brine.
I used this recipe, yesterday. I did a few jars exact, a few I used lots of jalapeño slices, a few I used a ton of garlic, a few, lots and lots of fresh dil, etc. Also, I decided to do several with half water and half vinegar and a few with all vinegar. The others were all water.. as the recipe states. Within a couple of hours, the jars with the water only brine mix were already showing signs of something going on.. I was amazed. The cucumbers were becoming a lighter color, while the others stayed the same. There wasn’t any murkiness, at all. This morning, I decided to try them all. The jars with the the all water brine were already delicious. They’re crispy, salty and I can taste the garlic and dill. I’m going to taste them again tonight, and I think they’ll be ready. I like a strong taste.. so, I’ll let them sit as long as needed. I did use a brined grape leaf. I just folded one and placed in the bottom of each jar. I’m still not seeing any type of murkiness in my brine.
The jars with the vinegar mixtures I set outside on my back deck, hoping to speed up the fermentation.. or is this even possible? I live in GA, so it’s hot and humid here.. very. Inside it’s very, very cool all the time. I did two jars of okra, also. The okra is slimy. I boiled it for four minutes, first. I think that was a mistake. Can I just replace the okra in the jars with raw okra?
Thanks for this recipe!! Love it!! My Grandaddy has a garden and we have more cucumbers than we know what to do with!!
My mother-in-law gave us a cucumber plant and it has gone crazy so we decided to make pickles! Found this recipe and made 3 batches Sunday. Checked them tonight and was pleasantly surpised with wonderful pickles! Very easy! Thank you for sharing!
Awesome!!
Is it normal for the jar to fizz considerably when opened? Most of mine did. I ate them and felt fine, but then a colleague of mine was worried that it could be bad bacteria? I hope he got me nervous for nothing? Thanks!
Hi Gratia, Yes that’s normal and just a normal part of the fermentation process! No worries 🙂
I read all the comments and didn’t see the answer to the question about how tight to screw the lids on. Do I have to worry about fermentation blowing off the lid so I should keep it a little loose, or should I do a full hard twist to get it completely sealed?
Well…the cucs are picked…headed to the grocery store tomorrow morning first thing to pick up the few ingredients I don’t have and I am ready to give this recipe a try…will let you know!
awesome! Hope they turn out well for you!
Well…major success! These are so quick and easy…and fun! They turned out perfect…I will be making more of these this week with my bumper crop of pickling cucumbers…thank you!
Awesome!!
I can’t say enough great things about this recipe! I have a bumper crop of cucumbers this year due to all the rain in the Northeast. I am on my 5th batch of these today…good hint…I slice mine in what they refer to as sandwich slices…longways…and I can fit even more in the jar…we have been eating them every single day…thank you thank you!
Awesome! So happy to hear, Robin!
SO we made these for the first time – they kind of seem like they are carbonated when you eat them. Is that normal?
Yes, they may have been fermenting a little too long. Which is totally fine. But it would make them a little fizzy 🙂
Does the lid need to seal that you are using on the jar? Can’t tell from the picture if there is some type of gasket between the lid and jar?
Hi Bonnie! It just need to screw tight. Not sealed like how you would canning. I just have an old fashioned mason jar with a wire lid that just latches shut.
So what happens if your pickles are soggy? I put some raspberry leaf in because it has tannins to help keep them crunchy. If I didn’t put enough in is there any hope for them?
I don’t think there is much hope for them if they are soggy or at least, I haven’t heard of anything. Crossing my fingers yours aren’t soggy!! 🙂
What do you think I did wrong for them to get soggy? How much of the leaves does a person put in? I did another batch today and put two whole huge leaves in. Think that is enough?
Usually that means you let them ferment too long. If you live in a hot climate or your house is warm because of summer, it may take less than 3 days for them to be ready (& crispy!). Some people in hot climates are saying it’s only been taking a day and a half for them to be done! You can taste them every day to find that sweet spot of when they taste like a pickle, but still crunchy. Generally, it’s 3 days, but for some people it’s even less!
I just made 3 jars and they are sitting on the counter! Yeah. first time making pickles,first time having a lot of cucumbers in the garden. So now the wait! Can’t wait!
Marie-Paule
Woo!
hi, cant wait to try making these. I have seen a couple of questions about jars that we can use, but didnt see an answer. Can we use any type of jars, like a recycled glass jar with screw on lid that was originally for store bought spagetti sauce? Also, does adding vinegar at the start effect the fermenting? I like the taste of vinegar, but dont want to lose the benefits of the pro-biotic. Thanks for the great recipe and site!
Those spaghetti sauce jars are great for this! Adding vinegar will not work with lacto-fermented pickles. These pickles taste sour like vinegar naturally through fermentation 🙂
Hi, Just finished reading through the year’s worth of comments. While I’ve not tried your specific recipe, I have made these from other sour or half-sour recipes found on the web. And, like others, have run into similar problems with fermentation. Here are some solutions.
1. Use filtered water, or better yet, distilled. Tap water has too much other “stuff” in it, even if from your own well.
2. Measure your salt solution by weight, not volume.
3. Understand the strength of salt solution also depends on the form of salt you’re using (large flake, small flake, granular). A good discussion of this can be found in Sandor Katz’s Article “Making Sour Pickles” April 2012, excerpted from “Wild Fermentation”. Find it at http://www.wildfermentation.com in the archives for that month.
3. Use freshly picked cukes (today’s if possible).
4. Always use a pickling cuke, not a slicer, and preferably one with a small seed cavity.
5. Never use salt with additives(iodine).
6. Vinegar will stop the fermentation process. If you like that sharp taste, add vinegar when you chill the fermented pickles in the fridge. And will infuse into the pickles slowly over time.
Thank you so much, Tony! These are great!!
Thank you so much for this article. I’ve been searching for a simple, homemade way to make small batches of pickles. I’m currently on the GAPS diet to help fix my wonky colon, and while the store-bought pickles are okay (the vinegar’s actually a pretty good thing), I want as many probiotics as I can get! Plus, homemade goodness is one of the key things that will help turn my health around.
The last site I checked out suggested I use a 5 gallon container. Lol, that’s a bit too much for me. This recipe is perfect, as I have a few mason jars kicking around somewhere.
Thanks again for this article. I’m definitely going to spend some time browsing other articles/recipes.
Good luck with healing your colon, Jason! Hope you like the pickles, too 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. I have made up four 500ml bottles and can’t wait to try them next week. To get the tannin in I used 1/8 tsp wine tannin (easy to source online or at homebrew stores) diluted in 100ml water and then added 1/4 tsp to each bottle. To kickstart the fermentation I added some whey to each bottle.
Thanks for those tips, Robert – awesome!
So…I searched the web for days, and pulled out 10 or so recipes to try. My family loves pickles, and we are very picky, only like the very best. Our home smelled very dill-y for quite a while. We had recipes we thought were too salty, etc. Usually the only point of contention was the amount of salt. I have become so very much more aware of the amount of salt I now taste in pickles.
But your recipe came sort of at the end of experimentation…and we had had pretty good examples to judge by by then.
These were the absolute worst things we ever had. Couldn’t even swallow. Had to spit. Limp, lifeless, tasted nothing like any pickle the world has ever tasted…
Sorry. Take this post off, others are being unrealistically nice to you.
Truly terrible…
LOL! It sounds like you may have done something wrong. It also sounds like they fermented for too long if they were limp and lifeless. These pickles, if done correctly, taste like the Bubbies brand of dill pickles (my favorite store bought brand!) and are nice and crisp and flavorful – definitely not lifeless. Everyone has different tastes and I welcome all feedback, but I will say that I thought that was very rude of you to tell me to take the post down – I actually started laughing when I read that. I hope you were able to find a good homemade pickle recipe out there that you like!
Alright. I’m about 3 and a half days into fermenting my pickles. I cut them into slices like in the pictures that you showed. For the most part they’re crunchy, but the middle of the pickles (where the seeds usually are) are pretty mushy. Should I just throw them in the fridge and hope it crispens them up? Or are they just not ready yet, and need to ferment a bit longer?
Hi Jason, I would stop fermentation now and refrigerate them – they will only continue to get mushier if you don’t. Cucumbers with a lot of seeds tend to make mushier pickles so if you wanted to try again in the future, a good tip is to look for smaller cucumbers. The bigger ones are over developed and tend to have a lot of seeds.
Thanks for the tip. I actually picked up some of the small, seedless ones. So yeah, in the fridge they went. Not sure how they’ll fare, but not bad for my first batch. 😉
With my second batch, I’m going to try what another commenter had suggested. And that’s putting them in ice water for a little bit before chopping them up and fermenting them. Also, going to cut the fermenting time down to 3 days tops. I have a tendency of over-fermenting things. I think it comes from the good ol’ homemade kefir milk days. So this time around, I’m going to be much more strict about it.
Thanks again for the reply, and have a great day!
Let me know how the batch with the ice water bath goes – I haven’t tried that yet and am curious to know if you have success with it! I love that you used to make homemade kefir, too. I’ve been making kombucha for the past few years, but making kefir “soda” is next on my list to try. I can’t do most dairy (boo) so I’ll have to make it with coconut water not milk. Have a good one and keep me posted!
Hi, can i use Himalayan salt?
Yes, that will work Reyna!
I’m going to use a sterilized quart size ball canning jar , do I need to purchase new lids or may I use the old ones . Thx , Lee Ann
You can use the old ones!
Hello there, I just want to thank you for sharing this recipe! Loved, loved my pickles!!!
So happy to hear!
I tried a variety of recipes to pickle a 5 gallon bucket of cucs. This was hands down our favorite. I skipped the coriander and black pepper but otherwise followed the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
So cool! Thanks for sharing!
This may seem a silly question, but, if you use an onion to hold down the cucumbers, is it ok for the onion to stick up out of the brine?
That’s a great question 🙂 Yes, it’s ok — because it’s out of the brine, it may get some harmless bacteria on top. But just throw it away when your pickles are done!
Do I need to sterilize the jars first? Or is that optional?
Hi Melissa, You can. But I never do (I just clean them well) and haven’t had a problem yet.
Hey do u have to seal ur canning jars and all that or can u just pop the lid on?
I just put the lid right on – no need to seal.
Can I use pink Himalayan salt?
Yes!
My pickles ate perfect! I made thin slices for sandwiches (2 days fermented) chunks (3 1/2 days). I used 1 1/2 oak leaves per jar and they are crisp fresh tasting Pickles! I cut a piece of plastic as someone suggested to hold the pickles down in the bring. I love the way when I open there is carbonation. One question, do I remove the leaves now that I’m refrigerating, or anything else for that matter?
Awesome!! You can leave everything in there or remove it all – it’s just a personal preference at this point!
I have a couple questions: 1. Can I use leaves right off a blackberry bush to help keep the cucumbers crisp? 2. One of the jars I prepared tiped over. Is that jar of pickles ruined? 3. When I tasted one of the pickles the flavor seemed right but I got an extremly odd sensation in my mouth. My dad tried them and experienced the same thing. Any ideas on what caused this? Is this normal?
1. Yes!
2.No, not ruined!
3. I wonder if it’s the “fizz” the fermentation creates? Does it feel fizzy in your mouth? If so, that’s normal.
Great recipe! I just harvested my garden and made 12 pints of pickles.Yummy! Nothing like going to my yard and having the freshest veggies1
Kelly! Finally! A fermentation project that actually worked for me! I don’t know what it is, but my other attempts have all failed. These came out perfectly and now I have something to do with all the cucumbers my garden is producing. Yay! Thank you!
So cool, Kim! I’m happy to hear it worked out! I know what you mean about fermentation – sometimes it feels like a science experiment and you just never know how it’s going to turn out 🙂 I’m so glad that this worked well for you!
Just a little piece of fermentation advice that helped me — it never hurts to check/taste test your ferments early and/or everyday. In the beginning a lot of my fermentation projects failed because I don’t have air condition in my house and it’s always pretty hot in there in the summer. Those hot days, my ferments would get done as early as 1 day when a typical recipe would suggest 5. When I let it go to 5, whew — it was bad! lol. So I always check and taste test every day until it’s to my liking, no matter what the recipe suggests. I’ve had far less fails taste testing along the way!
Hello. Thank you for this recipe!! I wanted to know if the white film/mold is the same thing as the white bubbles that I am seeing and, if so, do I skim off the white bubbles? Thank you!
If the bubbles are on top – skim them off, Anne!
I absolutely adore how easy you make this sound! I’ve never done it myself but you absolutely convinced me. The next time I head to the grocery store I’m buying my cucumbers! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Came out delicious! I used some quite bitter regular cucumbers and this seems to have totally neutralized the bitterness. I followed your directions closely except I used dried dill weed and dill seed instead of fresh because that’s what I had on hand. I also used 1/4 teaspoon decaffeinated black tea and they came out pretty crunchy. Set in my kitchen for 1 day and they were done. I’m in Southern California where we’re having 90°+ temps with only a swamp cooler to keep the inside temp at about 75°. This will be my go to recipe for fresh deli-style pickles from now on.
Awesome, Lilly!
Unfortunately, the pickles went unpleasantly soft after sitting in the fridge even though I used the tea leaves. 🙁 Will have to find some way to avoid this in the future.
I made the pickles and the water is cloudy after three days. Are they still okay to eat?
Yes, that’s normal! Enjoy!
Pickles are a favorites snack at our house. I have 2 cucumber plants ready to go in the garden. I am hoping to master the are of making pickles this year. Thanks for the easy recipe
I love them, too! Enjoy!