Ukrainian Dills Fermented Naturally Recipes

UKRAINIAN DILL AND GARLIC PICKLES

Steps:

• Soak cucumbers in cold water overnight.
• Sterilize a 1 gallon glass or ceramic container. Combine the water and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Prepare the cucumbers by trimming the ends and making a slit in the sides with a small sharp knife.
• In the bottom of the sterile container, place several stalks of dill, half of the garlic cloves, about 10 peppercorns and a slice or two of red chile pepper. Arrange half of the cucumbers over the seasonings and then repeat the layers. When the brine comes to a boil, pour over the cucumbers to cover. Place a small plate on top of the pickles to keep them submerged. Store in a cool place.
• Pickles will be ready in 4 to 10 days, depending on how warm it is. Once they have fermented to your liking, refrigerate until using.

GRANDMA'S FERMENTED DILL PICKLES

Steps:

• Trim the blossom ends off the cucumbers.
• Mix the icing solution using cold water, and let the cucumbers soak in the icing solution overnight (for 8 to 18 hours). Keep the cucumbers submerged in the icing solution by weighing them down with a dinner plate or bags of ice. If it's really warm in your house, stash them in the fridge for the icing.
• Once you've set up the cucumbers for icing, mix the pickling brine ingredients (vinegar, salt and water), bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Divide the hot brine between two sterilized 1-quart mason jars and allow to cool overnight.
• The next morning drain the cucumbers and pack them into the brine-filled mason jars, along with the dill, horseradish and mustard. Use a weight to keep the pickles below the brine and leave at least 1 inch of headroom at the top of the jar.
• Put a lid on the jar that will allow gas to escape while keeping out mould and other contaminates. (See the section above for different jar and lid options).
• Store the jar in a cool dark location.
• The pickles will bubble and ferment for 4-5 days, but leave them undisturbed until you are ready to eat them. Let them ferment for at least 1 month and up to a year.

UKRAINIAN DILLS FERMENTED NATURALLY

Steps:

• Soak (but do not scrub) cucumbers in very cold water for 5 minutes.
• Scald a very clean 1 gallon glass jar or crock with boiling water. Place a grape leaf at the bottom and arrange cucumbers vertically in layers, inserting garlic cloves and dill weed here and there. Do not pack tightly.
• Add salt to boiling water and stir. Pour brine over cucumbers and add peppercorns. (If not using leaves, add alum for added crispness.) I never do this, and they are always crisp, and I leave out grape leaves because I don't have any.
• Cover with leaves and a plate and place in a cool, dark place to ferment. I just cover with plate. In the old days, dry rusks of rye bread were put on top to aid the fermentation process and keep the cucumbers from floating up. This is a good idea.
• After 4 to 5 days, the cucumbers will be semi cured; some gourmets prefer them that way. After a few more days, fully cured pickles will become a lighter green.
• Pickles may be placed in smaller jars that are more convenient for storage. Scald 3 or 4 quart jars, pour off and strain pickling juice (discarding garlic and dill weed). Transfer pickles, fill quarts with strained liquid, cover, and refrigerate.
• The juice, or kvas, is never thrown out; it is used as a base for soups, borsch, or drunk cold as an eye-opener. Yummy!