Sour Pickles
A simple and traditional recipe for sour pickles using fresh cucumbers, salt, and spices. Perfect for summer snacking!
Equipment
- 1 Gallon Jar
- Ceramic Weights
Ingredients
Cucumbers
- 8 medium-sized non-waxed pickling cucumbers
Brine
- 2 tablespoons sea salt for each quart of water
- 1 quart water
Spices
- 1 tablespoon dill
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
Tannin Leaves
- oak leaves
- cherry leaves
- bay leaves
- grape leaves
- 2 bags black tea optional
Instructions
- Mix the brine - Add salt to water and stir to dissolve. Use 2 tablespoons of sea salt per quart of water.
- Prepare cucumbers and place in the salted water - Clean lightly and cut off the stem tip of the cucumber. Place in a vessel for fermenting.
- Add the garlic, spices and leaves - To help the cucumbers stay crisp, add a few fresh oak leaves, cherry leaves, bay leaves, grape leaves, or a little dry black tea.
- Keep the cucumbers submerged - Make sure the pickles stay below the level of the liquid using a well-scrubbed stone or a ceramic bowl.
- Wait impatiently - Place the jar in a sunny window. Check after five days to see if it's sour enough for your taste.
- Jar it up - Once the pickles are tangy enough, transfer to smaller jars with brine and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Feel free to experiment with the types and amounts of spices used based on your taste preferences!