If you have a secret obsession with fermented pickles, you're not alone. Crunchy and delicious, they are perfect as an appetizer, after a marathon and even for a hangover!
Pickles are one of the most common fermented foods. Do you realize that relish is nothing more than diced pickles?
So prepare a few jars and bait the pickle lover hiding among your guests. When you spot them, you'll never have to worry about being refused a helping hand from them again, since you'll always have a jar of pickles to give them.
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Fermentation time: from 3 days to 3 weeks
Equipment
- 2 glass jars of 1 liter
- Airtight lid (recommended)
- Glass weight, or Viscodisc (recommended)
- Airlock (optional)
Ingredients:
Pickles:
- 1kg (2.2 lbs) of pickled cucumbers, young and crisp (it's always better than old and wilted...)
- 1.5 liters (6 cups) of cold water + 750 ml (3 cups) of ice cubes
1 liter (4 cups) of 4% sweet brine:
- 40g (8 tsp) salt
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 1 liter (4 cups) of water at room temperature
Aromatics:
- 2 fresh, young, frozen or lactofermented vine leaves (optional)
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 1 bunch of fresh dill
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
- 1 tsp caraway
- 1 tsp cumin
Preparation
- Clean the cucumbers well and let them soak in cold water with the ice cubes for 4 to 8 hours. This step will keep them crunchy until after fermentation.
- Prepare the brine by dissolving the salt and sugar in the water.
- Stack the pickles, whole or sliced (depending on your family traditions), in the jars.
- Divide the grape leaves (if desired), the garlic cloves, dill sprigs, pepper, caraway and cumin between the two jars.
- Cover with sweet brine (with 4% salt). Close the jars and place an airlock.
- Otherwise, completely close the lid, but release the pressure once a day for the first 3 days: slightly unscrew the adjustment ring for a few seconds, then close tightly.
- Leave to ferment at a temperature of 18 to 25° C (64 to 77° F) for 3 days for "new cucumbers", 7 days for "semi-acids" and 3 weeks for "classic pickles".
Consume with your hands (never with a fork!) casually before a meal.
Store in the refrigerator for 6 months, or: boil the jars for 15 minutes to be able to store the cucumbers for 2 years at room temperature (We are sad for these millions of beautiful bacteria, but as tradition dictates...)
This recipe is from the book Fermentation Revolution.