Home made dill pickles in brine are different from pickles in vinegar that you can buy in regular grocery stores. The natural fermentation yields lactic acid that makes the dill pickles taste sour, but has different flavour than vinegar. Once the fermentation is complete, the pickles can be kept in a refrigerator for quite a long time. They shouldn’t be frozen, as they will become quite soft upon thawing. However, I once accidentally froze a couple of jars of them because my small refrigerator-box temperature controller failed. I managed to successfully use them to prepare dill-pickle soup as their texture was less important for that.
Recipe
This is a rare recipe for me as it does not stick to exact measurements of ingredients; the amounts given are only guidelines, except amounts of salt and water for the brine.
Ingredients
| 120 ea | Small cucumbers, field grown variety |
| 5 L | Water, preferably filtered through Brita or under-sink filter to remove chlorine. |
| 250 g | Pickling salt (non-iodized, without any additives[1]). |
| 1 small ~150 g | Horseradish root, peeled and shaved into thin slivers (along the root) |
| Dill (whole big plant, with flowers/seeds and thick stalks. | |
| Cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped or sliced. | |
| 20 – 30 | Oak leaves, washed and blotted dry |
| 20 – 30 | Cherry leaves, washed and blotted dry (optional) |
| 20 | Currant leaves, washed and blotted dry (optional) |
| Peppercorns | |
| Allspice (whole) | |
| Mustard seeds (yellow) | |
| Tarragon (estragon) dried | |
[1] Regular table salt is iodized (in Canada it is required by regulations). Manufacturers also add anticaking agents, two of which are colloidal silica and yellow prussiate of soda (sodium ferrocyanide). Although the latter sounds poisonous, it is generally safe for consumption at the levels used in salt (the cyanide is trapped in a complex with iron). On the other hand, both iodide and ferrocyanide affect the process of fermentation and may result in a less palatable, often very soft, dill pickles. I have not checked for impact of silica on fermentation, however brine prepared with regular Canadian table salt is quite hazy, so I avoid it.
Cucumbers suitable for this recipe are small, preferably about 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) long, and often field grown. This variety is often called pickling cucumbers. They typically have thicker skin than salad cucumbers and have bumps with warts or spikes (easily removable, might have been lost during transportation).
Equipment
You will need several large glass jars with lids or covered ceramic vessels. Large containers are more convenient because they can be packed more efficiently. I prefer glass jars between 2.5 and 4 L size. They can be closed tightly once the fermentation is done. I also have a 4L ceramic jar with a cover – it goes for consumption first.
Recipe:
- Prepare the brine by adding salt to boiling water and allowing it to dissolve completely. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Wash the cucumbers thoroughly in cold water, remove any spikes.
- Place them on paper towels and allow them to drain and dry a bit.
- If you want the dills to ferment faster, you can cut of the tips and poke the skin on all sides with a fork. I often do this for the contents of one jar only.
- In each jar place two oak leaves, other leaves, some dill, some peppercorns and allspice, mustard seeds and tarragon as well as some slices of garlic.
- Place cucumbers in the jar vertically[2], selecting their sizes so that they can be tightly packed, but not squeezed.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the next layer of cucumbers.
- Cover with another layer of leaves and spices. If there is more space in the jar, add another layer of cucumbers, this one does not need to be vertical. Leave at least 2 cm (3/4 in) space on top. Add some dill stalks arranging them to hold the cucumbers down.
- Once you filled all the jars, pour into them the cooled brine to cover all cucumbers. Keep any remaining brine for step 14.
- I always cover the sides of the glass jars with black plastic foil (from garbage bags) to minimize exposure to light.
- Put lids on the jars but do not close them tightly. The fermentation will cause the liquid to foam and expand a little and it should be allowed to overflow.
- Set the jars in some trays or plates to catch any overflow. The fermenting liquid is somewhat aggressive so do not let it damage your countertop. I use old baking pans or glass baking dishes for that.
- For a few days, keep the jars in a relatively warm place, checking and disposing of any overflowing liquid.
- If the liquid level in the jars falls, use the extra brine to top it almost to the brim. It is important that the cucumbers are covered with liquid during fermentation and then in storage.
- Once the fermentation subsides, you can close the jars tightly and store them in a fridge. I have kept those successfully until the next year’s season, but they are usually consumed much sooner.
[2] This way of packing usually allows to fit more cucumbers.