Fermented Pickles

Very flavorful fermented pickle recipe
4w fermentation

Based on: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/08/lacto-fermented-dill-pickle-recipe.html

Ingredients

  • 150 g pure salt (preferably kosher) for 5.25% brine
  • 5 lb pickling cucumber
  • 1 T whole mustard seed, divided
  • 1 t whole allspice
  • 1 t whole juniper berries
  • 1 t ground turmeric
  • 1/2 t coriander seeds
  • ~6 whole cloves
  • 1/4 t ground ginger
  • 1 bay leaf, crushed
  • 1 small (1/2-inch) cinnamon stick, broken
  • 1 whole star anise, broken into pieces
  • 1/4 thinly-sliced white onion
  • 4 cloves peeled garlic
  • several heads of flowering dill and/or tufts
  • 1 1/2 qt water

Process

  1. Wash cucumbers, then trim off the flower-end (opposite of the stem) using a paring knife. Place cucumbers in a large bowl of ice water. Let stand while you prepare the spice mixture.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together mustard seed with the allspice, juniper, turmeric, coriander, cloves, ground ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon, and star anise, if using. Measure out 1 tablespoon pickling spice blend and reserve the rest for a future batch.
  3. Pack the sliced onion, garlic, dill, 1 tablespoon pickling spice, and remaining 1 tablespoon mustard seed into a jar, pressing firmly into the bottom.
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together salt with water until salt is dissolved. Drain cucumbers and pack into the jar. Pour saltwater brine over cucumbers until covered. Close jar, fitting it with a Pickle Pipe or other airlock system for mason jars.
  5. Place fermenting vessel in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight to ferment. Ideal fermentation temperature is 60° F (16° C) to 70° F (21° C). Dry basements are ideal as they maintain a relatively consistent temperature.
  6. The exact fermentation time is hard to predict, but generally it takes about 3 weeks to reach the half-sour stage and 6 weeks to reach the full-sour stage. When your pickles reach your desired sourness level, transfer to the refrigerator. The finished pickles can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.
  7. Optional, but definitely do: To make a Polish-style vinegar-fermented hybrid pickle, follow the recipe as written, adding 1 cup of white vinegar for every quart of water.