Barrel Fermented Pickles Recipes

FERMENTED KOSHER-STYLE DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 gallon of water into a large container or pot. Cover loosely and allow to sit for 24 hour to allow dissolved chlorine to escape.
• Crisp cucumbers by storing in the refrigerator or soaking in very cold water for 1 hour.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
• Wash cucumbers in cold water and remove any blossoms that may be clinging to them. Quarter large cucumbers lengthwise. Cut medium cucumbers in half lengthwise. Leave gherkin-sized cucumbers whole.
• Peel and gently crush garlic cloves, but don't splinter them into fragments.
• Pour cooled salt water into a 1/2-gallon Mason jar. Add cucumbers, garlic, dill, and dried chile peppers, arranged attractively. Pack cucumbers tightly; they will shrink as they pickle. Fill the jar with the dechlorinated water until cucumbers are just covered to avoid overly diluting the brine.
• Loosely cover the jar and set aside at room temperature. Set the jar on a dish if it is very full, to catch any dribbles. Give the pickles 12 to 24 hours to begin fermenting. Refrigerate them, in brine and loosely covered, as they approach the stage of pickling you prefer: new, half-sour, or sour. Don't overshoot the mark, as refrigeration slows, but does not stop, fermentation.

BARREL FERMENTED PICKLES

Steps:

• Pick through the cucumbers and remove any that are moldy, squishy, or damaged. Only the best can make it into the crock, man. You can gently rinse them in water, if you need to remove dirt or debris.
• Fill the crock half full of cucumbers before laying in a few sprigs of fresh dill, a clove of garlic, a chunk of onion, a pinch of peppercorns, and a few grape leaves. Stop it. I can hear you complaining. Yes, I realize this is vague - but that's okay. They're your pickles and you can spice them with whatever you like! I haven't noticed a bit enough difference between using different measurements of spices to waste the time being precise about it all.
• Fill a quart jar with filtered water and 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt. Stir to dissolve the salt and pour this over the cucumbers. Continue to fill the quart jar with this same water and salt mixture, pouring it over the cucumbers each time, until the crock is full and the cucumbers can be completely submerged in the liquid.
• Place a crock weight (or plate if you don't have one) over the top of the pickles so that they remain completely submerged during the course of their fermentation. You can also layer on some grape leaves to help protect the cucumbers from oxygen as well.

THE BEST FERMENTED PICKLES RECIPE

Steps:

• Clean the cucumbers well and let them soak in cold water with the ice cubes for 4 to 8 hours. This step will help them stay crunchy until after fermentation.
• Prepare the brine by dissolving the salt and sugar in the water.
• Stack the pickles, whole or sliced ​​(depending on your family traditions), in the jars.
• Divide the grape leaves (if using), the garlic cloves, dill sprigs, pepper, caraway and cumin between the two jars.
• Cover with sweet brine (with 4% salt). Close the jars and place an airlock.
• Otherwise, completely close the lid, but release the pressure once a day for the first 3 days: slightly unscrew the adjustment ring for a few seconds, then close tightly.
• Leave to ferment at a temperature of 18 to 25° C (64 to 77° F) for 3 days for "young pickles", 7 days for "semi-acid" and 3 weeks for "classic pickles".

LACTO-FERMENTED DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients together. Use small cucumbers that are slightly under-ripe, dark green and firm. If they have spikes, brush them gently to get rid of them. Trim off the ends.
• Prepare the brine. In a big pot, place water and salt and bring to a boil. Rule: For each quart of water, you need 2 tablespoons of salt. Make sure the salt dissolves completely in the water. When the water starts boiling, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool.
• Place dill on the bottom of each jar. Add some pieces of onion, few garlic cloves, few mustard seeds, thyme and pickling spices.
• Start adding cucumbers, leaving at least 2 inches of headspace from the rim of the jar. Add more garlic cloves and onions. Place a bunch of dill over the cucumbers.
• Pour the brine over the cucumbers and make sure everything is submerged in it.
• Cut the ends of the dill blossoms and use them as little sticks on top of the jar, to keep the vegetables inside the brine.
• Cover the jars with a little plate and place them outside in warm temperatures.
• During the earliest stages of fermentation carbon dioxide is released. You will notice the liquid will start bubbling, which is a good sign. In case you seal the jars with the lid, check them once or twice a day to see if the lids are building up pressure. Very quickly and carefully "burp" your jar by slightly unscrewing the lid, allowing a bit of gas to escape, and screwing it back on quickly. If you just cover the jar with a plate, you don't need to do that, just make sure nothing gets inside the jar.
• You will notice that the liquid becomes cloudier, this is a sign of lactic acid forming. This is very normal. Allow the fermentation to continue for few days. My batch was ready to refrigerate after 6 days, but keep an eye on the jars and taste the cucumbers after the 3rd day if it is very warm where the jars are sitting. They might get sour faster.
• As soon as you are pleased with the texture and taste of the cucumbers, place the jars inside the refrigerator and consume them in the next two weeks.
• Serve them with grilled or roasted meats, sausages, burgers, potatoes, stews, soups etc.