Fermented Pickles

A Bubbie’s dupe, but somehow even better! These pack a garlicky punch and are tangy and so crisp. Yum!

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Rinse the cucumbers, making sure the blossoms are removed. Soak them in ice water for a couple hours (if they’re not straight off the vine).

Step 2

In a separate clean jar (not the one you’ll be using for the pickles), dissolve the salt into the warm water. Place tea bag into saltwater brine to steep. Set aside — this brine will be one of the last things you’ll add.

Step 3

Into the clean, gallon jar/crock you’ll be using for the pickles, drop in the garlic, dill, coriander, mustard, peppercorns, fennel, and red pepper flakes.

Step 4

After spices, add the cucumbers into the jar. If you’ve sliced large cucumbers into spears, pack the spears vertically into the jar.

Step 5

Remove the tea bag. Pour the salt water solution (a.k.a. the brine) over the cucumbers.

Step 6

You want your cucumbers to be completely submerged in the brine at all times. Use fermentation weight, sterilized rock, or smaller glass jar to submerge all cucumbers in brine. Cover with tea towel or cheese cloth and secure with rubber band.

Step 7

Your pickles will be ready after 1-4 weeks — depending on the temperature in your house. Our pickles are usually ready after 10 days on the counter in our warm apartment (average of 80-85°F) in late summer. Every couple days, do a taste test of your pickles. They’re ready when they taste done to you! Once they taste done, transfer the jar into the fridge to slow fermentation.