FERMENTED PICKLES - The Best Old Fashioned Dill Pickle Recipe! (No Rambling)

white vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: distilled vinegar

Apple cider vinegar adds a fruity flavor while maintaining acidity.

salt

🥗Healthier: kosher salt

💰Cheaper: table salt

Kosher salt is less processed and has a coarser texture.

garlic

🥗Healthier: garlic powder

💰Cheaper: onion powder

Garlic powder can provide flavor without the need for fresh garlic.

black peppercorns

🥗Healthier: white pepper

💰Cheaper: ground black pepper

Ground black pepper is more convenient and less expensive.

Introduce the recipe as a beginner-friendly lacto-fermented dill pickle recipe without vinegar.

Explain the difference between vinegar pickling and fermentation pickling.

Prepare a saltwater brine with a ratio of 2 tablespoons of salt to 1 quart of non-chlorinated water.

Cut off the blossom end of each cucumber to prevent softness, then quarter each cucumber.

Wash the jar with hot soapy water (sterilization is not needed).

Add coriander seeds and cloves to the jar, followed by dill flowers, sliced garlic, and bay leaves.

Pack the cucumber spears tightly into the jar on its side, pushing them down to fill gaps with a chopstick if necessary.

Add the prepared brine to the jar, ensuring the cucumbers are fully submerged and leaving headspace at the top.

Add a weight to keep the cucumbers submerged during fermentation, using a clean rock if necessary.

Cover the jar with a coffee filter or linen cloth secured with a rubber band (avoid cheesecloth).

Let the cucumbers ferment on the countertop for 7 to 8 days, noting the color change from bright green to olive green.

Check the jar on day three for bubbles and cloudy brine, which are normal signs of fermentation.

On day four, observe any yeast bloom that may develop and learn how to address it later in the video.

Demonstrate the crock method using a ceramic roaster for larger cucumbers, washing it with hot soapy water first.

Add seasonings to the crock and load cucumbers without packing them tightly.

Pour the brine over the cucumbers, allowing them to float slightly, and add a weight to keep them submerged.

Leave the crock on the countertop for 7 to 8 days, observing the same color changes as with the jar method.

Conduct a taste test on day seven, comparing the crunchiness of the different pickle types.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary