Some years, the garden just decides to give you a gift. This year, for us, that gift was cucumbers. And more cucumbers. Thanks to a perfect PNW summer, our Boston Pickling and White Wonder vines were incredibly productive, and every day brought a new harvest.

When you're swimming in cucumbers, there's only one thing to do: make lots and lots of pickles! Our preferred method is lacto-fermentation. It's a simple, ancient technique that creates a delicious, crunchy, and probiotic-rich pickle that will last in the fridge for months, seeing us through the winter.

Over the years, we've refined our method for the perfect fermented dill pickle. We even found a wonderful local salt from San Juan Island Sea Salt to make our ferments truly a product of the Pacific Northwest. Here is our go-to recipe.

Classic Fermented Dill Pickles

 

Prep time: 20 minutes Fermenting time: 5-14 days Yields: 1 half-gallon jar

 

Ingredients

 

  • 2.5 - 3 lbs pickling cucumbers, washed well
  • 6-8 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed
  • 1 large handful of fresh dill heads or fronds
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp mustard seeds
  • Optional: a few grape, oak, or horseradish leaves (the tannins help keep pickles crunchy!)
  • 4 tablespoons non-iodized sea salt (we love using San Juan Island Sea Salt)
  • 2 quarts non-chlorinated water

 

Instructions

 

  1. Prepare the Cucumbers: For the crunchiest pickles, it's best to trim off the blossom end of each cucumber. You can also soak the cucumbers in an ice water bath for 30-60 minutes before jarring.
  2. Pack the Jar: In the bottom of a clean half-gallon jar, place half of your dill and garlic, along with the peppercorns and mustard seeds. Tightly pack the cucumbers into the jar, standing them vertically if possible. As you fill the jar, add the remaining dill and garlic.
  3. Add Tannins (Optional): If you are using a grape or oak leaf, tuck it into the side of the jar.
  4. Make the Brine: In a separate pitcher, thoroughly dissolve the 4 tablespoons of salt in the 2 quarts of water.
  5. Cover and Weigh Down: Pour the salt brine over the cucumbers until they are completely submerged, leaving about 1-2 inches of headspace at the top. It's crucial that all the cucumbers stay below the brine. Use a fermentation weight or a small glass jar to keep them submerged.
  6. Ferment: Cover the jar with an airlock lid or a loose-fitting lid. Place the jar on a plate (to catch any overflow) at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for 5 to 14 days. You'll see bubbling begin within a couple of days.
  7. Taste and Store: Start tasting a pickle after day 5. When they reach a flavor you enjoy, they're ready. Move the jar to the refrigerator to halt the fermentation process. They will keep for several months in the fridge.

 

Tips for Crunchy Pickles

 

  • Use Fresh Cucumbers: The fresher, the better. Use your cucumbers within a day of harvesting if possible.
  • Trim the Blossom End: This end contains an enzyme that can cause mushy pickles.
  • Add Tannins: Grape leaves, oak leaves, horseradish leaves, or even black tea leaves contain tannins that help preserve crispness.