Probiotic Pickles - Cultured the Traditional Way

In Sandor Ellix Katz' book, Wild Fermentation he calls naturally fermented cucumbers, "sour pickles".  Most of us are familiar with the pickles we purchase at the store which are made with vinegar, salt, sugar, and sometimes with high fructose corn syrup and blue and yellow dye.

Freshly picked produce.

This recipe is for the traditional salt brine pickles that conjure up memories (for some) of Jewish deli pickles.  They are sour, salty, garlicky, and crunchy; but best of all they deliver a nice probiotic boost with every bite.

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Making pickles by fermenting cucumbers in a salty brine is easy and in my experience almost always yields great tasting pickles.  All the vegetables needed can be easily grown in a Zone 4 garden.

The first step is to gather the supplies and ingredients;

• Crock - (check out old crock pot inserts at thrift stores for the best prices)
• Plate - you will need one that fits inside the opening of the crock as close as possible (check out thrift stores)
• Rock that is flat on one side - to use as a weight
• Dish towel - with a tight weave
• Rubber band

• Filtered water (chlorine and fluoride should be removed)
• Sea or Kosher salt
• Cucumbers
• Fresh dill 
• Garlic cloves
• Grape or horseradish leaves

Wash your freshly picked cucumbers and rinse off your fresh dill and grape leaves.  Take the skins off several cloves of garlic.  You can easily use a whole head of garlic for one batch.




Line your crock with grape leaves.  The tannins in the grape leaves will give the pickles a crisp crunch.  Add skinned garlic cloves and dill heads.

Crock lined with grape leaves with garlic cloves and dill.

Cut off the growing end of the cucumbers.  This little trick will prevent the pickles from becoming soggy.

Removing the growing ends will result in crisper pickles.

Layer the cucumbers in the crock as close as possible.  The idea is to pack them in close.

Pack pickles closely together.

Cover the top of the stack of cucumbers with grape leaves.  The leaves will keep the cucumbers and garlic from floating up and over the brine.

A large grape leaf covers the top and keeps pickles and garlic under the brine.

The brine consists of just filtered water and salt - kosher or sea salt.  Sandor Katz suggests a brine strength of around 5.4%.  This translates to about 3 tablespoons of salt per quart of water.  Make your brine by stirring the salt into the room temperature water until dissolved.  I fill a quart canning jar with filtered water, add 3 tablespoons of salt and stir until the salt dissolves and then pour into the crock.

Set a plate on top of the grape leaves and add a rock to weigh it all down.  Pour in the brine making sure it rises about 2 inches over the top of the plate.

The rock holds the plate down keeping the contents under the brine.

Fold a cloth dishtowel in fourths and add a rubber band to secure it all the way around.  This multi-layered towel will keep out fruit flies, insects, and dust.

A dish towel covers the crock to keep it free of dust and insects.

Check your pickles daily.  Most likely you will see mold forming on top of the brine.  Remove the mold by scooping it out with a spoon and remember the phrase, "If it is under the brine it is fine".  Mold often forms on the surface of salt brined vegetables (like sauerkraut) and does not impact the quality or safety of the final product.  If mold forms any where on the cucumbers you should not eat them.  Surface mold should always be removed and discarded as soon as you see it form.

Surface mold should be removed.

After about a week the pickles should be ready.  You will notice that the color has changed from bright cucumber green to the dull pickle green.  

In one week the pickles are cultured and ready to eat.

Place the dill, garlic cloves and pickles in a large jar, making sure all the pickles are covered with the brine.  Pickles should always be kept under the brine even when refrigerated to avoid spoilage.  You can place a grape leaf over the top of the jar to keep the pickles under the brine.  Naturally cultured pickles will last about two months in the fridge.

Expect a cloudy looking brine with naturally cultured products.

More Tips:

• Pickles will culture faster in high temperatures and slower as the summer cools.

• If you get soggy pickles it could be because you didn't add enough salt to the brine, the temperature was too high or you allowed them to culture too long before refrigerating.  Remember to always use grape or horseradish leaves and cut off the growing end.

• Pickles should always be under the brine.  If they are above the brine they will spoil.

• Add as much garlic as you like.  The cloves can be eaten plain or added to salads.

• Never eat any food product that smells or looks spoiled.

• There are many excellent books and internet sites providing information on fermented food products.

Please note: The objective of this blog is to raise awareness of alternative ways to achieve wellness and to empower you to take an active role in your health decisions.  To accomplish this, you will need to explore these subjects in greater depth and then determine what makes sense for your life.  My hope is that this information will inspire you to start your own search into ways to make your life happier, healthier and more fulfilling.