Good Afternoon friends! I hope this finds you all happy and healthy and having a beautiful week! I am going to keep it short and sweet today from me and hand you over to my lovely friend Sarah from “Homemade, Healthy, Happy” to introduce herself and teach you how to pickle cucumbers! YAY! Enjoy!

Hi, my name is Sarah and I teach hands on, all-inclusive lactofermentation workshops in and around Sydney, and I blog over at Homemade, Healthy, Happy where I share recipes, information, lifestyle tips, and even run an online real food book club!

Cucumber pickles have to be one of my favourite ferments. They remind me of my years in America, where everything comes with a quarter pickle on the side. They are salty, sour, garlicky, and just wonderful.

I very firmly believe that everyone should be consuming lactofermented foods. For one, there are no traditional cultures who did not eat fermented foods in some form; that speaks very loudly to me. But for those out there who aren’t so idealistic and who don’t have romanticised views of upholding ancient traditions like I do – you may seek comfort in knowing that probiotic foods are the best way to get the full benefits of probiotics.

Fermented foods are yummy, unlike a pill or powder, so you won’t forget to take them! Also, the bacteria that are found in a completely natural state (i.e. in your fermented foods) are typically those bacteria that will actually take up residence in your gut and benefit you in the long-term. And finally, bacteria need food. The best food for them are starches and fibrous fruit and veg, generally things that we struggle to digest without the help of these little guys. What a coincidence – your pickles aren’t just food for you, they’re food for the bacteria too! Everything that both you and the bacteria need, wrapped up in one delicious package! No pill or powder can give you that.

Pickles can be made over the span of a few days, or up to a few weeks. Earlier fermentation times are typically referred to as ‘half-sours’ with longer fermentations earning the moniker ‘full-sours’. Essentially, the longer you leave your cukes out at room temperature, the more sour they will get. I love the flavour of full sours at around three weeks, but there is a trade off. Longer = soggier. Half-sours (my bliss point is right around 7 days) are a good compromise – sour enough, never soggy.

A few hot tips:

Use a Fido jar (or other good brand of jar with the same type of lid & seal). Screw top jars (such as Mason jars) are bad news for most ferments. The good news is, you don’t need an expensive jar with an airlock added in.

Don’t reduce the salt content and don’t worry about it either. A fair chunk of that salt will stay in the brine. The purpose of the salt is to stop pathogenic bacteria from taking hold initially, and allowing the beneficial bacteria a bit of time to get a good stronghold on your ferment.

Use clean jars and wash your hands, but you don’t need to sterilise everything. See the point above; the salt prevents other nasties from growing so that the lactobacillus and friends can do their magical thing.

Don’t open the jar! Until you’re ready to start eating them, that is. If you open the jar during fermentation, oxygen will rush in. Resist the urge and your ferment will be stronger & healthier for it.

Cut a good 1-2cm off the flower end of each cucumber. There is an enzyme in this end of the cuke that is responsible for turning all your pickles soggy. You could add some nasty chemical or you could just chop a little bit off the end. I know which method I would rather use!

Fermentation proceeds more quickly in summer. If you like your pickles right on 7 days in winter, 5 or 6 days in summer will be plenty!

Dilly Cucumber Pickles

Ingredients & Tools:
1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
5-8 garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh dill sprigs, to taste (I use a big handful)
500g cucumbers (approx. 3 medium)
1.5 Tbsp finely ground salt (I prefer pink Himalayan salt or sea salt)
filtered water, to cover
1L Fido jar

Method:
1) Place mustard seeds, peeled garlic cloves, and dill sprigs in the bottom of your jar.
2) Cut 1-2cm off the flower end of your cucumbers and discard. Slice your cucumbers finely into rounds, and place into the jar on top of your dill etc.
3) Sprinkle your 1.5 Tbsp fine salt on top, and top up with filtered water (or cooled boiled water). Ensure all your cucumbers are covered but leave at least 2cm of space from the top of the jar, to allow for bubbles and expansion.
4) Seal and leave out at room temperature for 4-7 days (half-sours) or up to 3 weeks (full sours).
5) When your pickles are ready to eat, place the whole jar in the fridge to cool before you start to devour them! Just use a clean utensil each time you get a pickle out, and they will last for months in their original jar in the fridge.