I have a couple of cuke plants that are happily "going to town" this year. I've been learning to make sauerkraut (see the sauerkraut thread) and would like to also try fermenting cucumber pickles. Can anyone point me toward a good recipe for this kind of pickle? I've been looking through my canning/preserving books with a surprising lack of success -- only the Ball preserving recipe book had a method waaay in the back of the book. While I trust Ball to provide tested recipes, I'd like to get different perspectives on this method before I leap in (and hopefully before the cuke plants really start producing).
I know this is from a month ago and maybe you don't still have cukes coming on, but we make fermented dill pickles in my family. The recipe if you are interested in trying it is:
1 gallon water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup canning/pickling salt
That is the brine. Wash the cukes, then I poke them all over with a knife to let the brine in. Put a couple handfuls of fresh dill in the bottom of your crock, add the cukes, pour the brine over. We cover with a cloth, then a plate that fits inside the crock with a weight of your choice to hold the cukes under the brine. (I currently use a half-gallon mason jar full of water) cover with another cloth to keep bugs out, and let sit for about 4 weeks, longer if it's cooler. I started a crock last week, but have added new cukes every few days, and will continue to do so until the vines stop producing or the crock gets full. I don't start the '4 weeks' count until I am done adding cukes, even if that is a month from when I started. They will not over ferment or rot unless you have a bad cuke in the mix. And even then only that one will rot, not the whole crock. You can add grape leaves on top as well, they have alum in them which helps keep the pickles crisp. I couldn't find any grape leaves not eaten through by beetles this year so I used blackberry leaves instead, and it has turned my brine into a really interesting pink color.
When they are done fermenting we drain off the brine into a sauce pan and boil it to kill the 'malm', a white substance that gets on the cloth and surface of the pickles but is not dangerous. Sterilize your canning jars and lids in boiling water or a hot dishwasher, put the pickles into the hot jars, and pour the boiling brine over them. Screw on the lid, wait to make sure it seals, and that's it! No need to process the jars, the heat from the boiling brine seals them. Oh, we also put some of the brined dill and also a bit more fresh dill (if available) into each jar before adding the pickles. It adds just that little bit more taste as they sit in the basement over the next year or so getting eaten up.
The photo is from tonight when I added fresh cukes to the crock of already fermenting ones. My absolute very favorite pickle ever in the world!!
