Fermented Cucumber Pickles

By Babycatgrandma

Cucumbers, or simply “pickles,” are a quintessential fermented food. The first record of pickles comes from ancient Mesopotamia. Such diverse historical figures as Aristotle, Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Amerigo Vespucci, and Thomas Jefferson are reported to have been fond of pickles. Indeed, Amerigo Vespucci, after whom America was named, was a pickle vendor before he became a world explorer. Pickles play a significant role in the food culture of many countries, from North America through Europe and into the Middle East.

Ingredients

• Equipment:
• Ingredients:
• 3 4 3 4 2 or 4 pounds (1.5 or 2 kg) small, thick-skinned cucumbers
• 2 2 2 quarts (2 L) chlorine-free water
• 1 1⁄2 1⁄2 cup (115 g) sea salt
• to 1 1 cup (250 ml) whey or 1 pint (475 ml) sauerkraut juice, or starter powder from an envelope (optional)
• Seasonings: generous amounts of whole garlic, bay leaf, etc. (optional)
• A few fresh grape or oak leaves, or a couple of black tea bags, for their tannins (optional)
• to to vinegar or apple cider vinegar, boiled and cooled to replace up to half of the water (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. ) If your cucumbers are at all soft, if you bought them at the store, and/or if you suspect that they might have been picked a while ago, you can perk them up by soaking them in ice water. 2. ) Trim the blossom ends off your cucumbers. These ends contain enzymes that can contribute to “hollow pickle syndrome. ” 3. ) Combine the chlorine-free water and salt in the pitcher, and add any starter or vinegar, if using. 4. ) Place the seasonings and tannin providers at the bottom of the jar or crock, followed by the cucumbers. 5. ) Pour the brine into the crock. 6. ) Weight everything down in such a way that it stays submerged. 7. ) If needed, cover the top of the jar or crock with the cloth, and affix the cloth with the rubber band. 8. ) Store at cool room temperature. Every day after the second or third, pull out a pickle, cut off a piece with a clean knife, and taste it. When the pickles are pleasantly sour but still crunchy, they are done. Move them to a cool place (like the refrigerator) immediately. Yield: 3–4 pounds (1.5–2 kg), Prep time: 10 minutes, Total time: 3 days–2 weeks