Annie & Skyler Cucumber season is FINALLY here and it’s time to start pickling! These easy fermented pickles are always our first pickling project of the season. They take minimal time to get started, then you just let those “good” bacteria—lactobacilli—do their thing. These sweet little microorganisms go to work creating that incredibly delicious tangy, pickle goodness that only they can create. We LOVE lactobacilli!
What are Half-Sours? Kosher-style pickles are made without vinegar, and instead get their tangy flavor via lacto-fermentation. It starts with a salt-water brine that allows the lactobacilli to go to work turning the natural sugars in the cucumbers to pleasantly sour lactic acid. Half-sours are fermented for a shorter time than full-sour pickles, and are ready in just over a week. However, the pickles will continue to ferment slowly in the refrigerator and eventually become full-sour pickles in a month or two (if they last that long!). Either way, they are truly delicious.
The Basics
Cucumbers We recommend using 3- to 4-inch pickling cucumbers. Avoid ones that are bloated or yellowing, which indicates they are past their prime and are likely to have thick, bitter skin and large seeds. Scrub the cucumbers well and trim a small sliver from the flowering end (opposite the stem end). This part contains enzymes that can prevent the pickles from staying crisp. Trimming it off also allows the brine a direct route inside the cucumbers.
Water While it’s not essential, it’s best to use filtered or bottled water when fermenting. Tap water can contain chlorine that will slow fermentation.
Salt You can use either sea salt or kosher salt for pickling—just make sure that it’s free from additives, such as iodine or anti-caking agents. Also keep in mind that fine-grained sea salt measures differently to coarser kosher salt, so you’ll need less (see our recipe for measurements). We prefer sea salt for its extra nutrients and minerals, including trace amounts of magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
The Flavor-Makers
Dill We have SO MUCH dill growing wild in the FIO gardens, so we always add as much as we can fit in the jar—usually about 5 large plants. We use pretty much all the parts—the leaves, flowers, seeds, and thin stems. The only parts that go in the compost are the thick central stems. Pile all those flavorful other parts onto a large cutting board and chop well to release the flavor before adding to the jar.
Leaves Grape leaves, black currant leaves, horseradish, and oak leaves all contain a substance that inhibits the enzymes that make pickles soft. In addition, they add a hint of flavor (our favorite are the black currant leaves—highly recommend!) Give them a coarse chop to release their magic before adding them to the jar.
Garlic We find that 2 cloves of garlic is plenty, but if you like your pickles extra-garlicky, by all means, add as much as you like. Chop the cloves or give them a good smash with the side of your knife to release their flavor. If you are making pickles early in the season, you can swap in 4 or 5 garlic scapes, chopped, for the garlic cloves.
Peppercorns Whole black peppercorns give the pickles a hint of spice without a lot of heat. For an earthier flavor, use pink and/or white peppercorns.
Go Spicy For pickles with heat, add one of these options.
• 1 or 2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 4 or 5 fresh Thai or cayenne chiles
• 3 or 4 small dried red chiles, such as chile de arbol or Tianjin chiles
• 1 or 2 sliced fresh jalapeño or serrano peppers
Keep ‘Em Covered To avoid spoilage, make sure the cucumbers are underneath the brine. If necessary, use a fermenting weight or small glass dish to weigh the cucumbers down. However, since these ferment for such a short amount of time, this usually isn’t necessary. Also keep in mind that those lactobacilli will be respirating, so screw the jar lid on loosely. If you seal the jar too tightly you could end up with carbonated pickles, which isn’t what we’re going for.
Bubbles = Fermentation When you see little bubbles starting to form in your jar, that’s when you know the lactobacilli are hard at work. Wait to transfer the pickles to the fridge until you see a lot of bubbles rising to the surface when you jostle the jar.
Half-Sour Dill Pickles
Equipment
- 1 2-quart jar
Ingredients
- 2 to 5 large fresh dill plants
- 2 or 3 grape leaves, horseradish leaves, black currant leaves, or oak leaves (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 to 2 tsp. peppercorns
- 3 to 4 lb. small pickling cucumbers
- 1 qt. water
- 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. fine sea salt or 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Remove thick stems from dill plants chop flowers, thin stems, leaves, and seeds (if present). Scrub cucumbers. Trim flower ends from each cucumber. Layer the cucumbers and the dill, desired leaves, garlic, and peppercorns in the jar.
- For brine, combine water and salt in a large glass measuring cup, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour brine over cucumbers in jar to cover; use a chopstick or shake jar lightly to knock out any big air bubbles, then add more brine as needed to cover cucumbers. Cover loosely with jar lid. Let stand at room temperature until very bubbly, 2 to 3 days. Chill at least 1 week before serving.
