The first day of fermentation the brine is still clear and minimal bubbles are beginning to form on the surface of the brine. Photo by Shannon Stonger.

by Shannon Stonger
Health Impact News

Besides the health benefits, one of the many wonders of using lactic acid fermentation as a means of preserving food is its versatility. While this recipe has that perfect dill and garlic cucumber pickle flavor, the recipe can be applied to any similar organic vegetable coming from the garden or market such as zucchini, yellow summer squash, Swiss chard stems, and even organic watermelon rinds.

One of the more important facets of learning the art of vegetable fermentation is to be able to identify when a vegetable has fully fermented. There are a wide range of recommended days for the fermentation process, which can leave the home-fermenter perplexed. Instead of relying on these recommendations which may only apply in certain circumstances or climates, it is often better to look for signs of complete fermentation.

Signs of Completed Fermentation Include

The Brine Turns Cloudy. While this might seem a sign for concern, a cloudy brine is actually an indication that the fermentation process is moving along. Barring other signs of contamination or ingredients that might also cloud the brine, this clouding is usually the result of the lactic acid bacteria in the earliest stages of fermentation. The brine may or may not clear up after some time in cold storage.

A Slowing Down of Carbon Dioxide Production. There are several stages of the fermentation process and it is in the earliest stages that the most carbon dioxide is produced. Seeing carbonation and pressure buildup in a jar is more a sign of continued fermentation than complete fermentation. Waiting until the most bubbly days appear to be behind you will allow all of the fermentative bacteria to do their work.

The Ferment Smells and Tastes Tangy. Generally speaking, a vegetable ferment still in the process of fermenting will only be mildly tangy. Fermentation never completely halts, unless the food is cooked or frozen, so the vegetable will often become more and more tangy as fermentation and storage time continues. But in order to give the fermentation process enough time to achieve the delicious tang, which also preserves the vegetable, it is important to allow the fermentation process to proceed long enough.

Cucumber spears in the jar, ready to be weighted down and submerged beneath the brine. Photo by Shannon Stonger.

Maintaining Crunch

Regardless of flavor and seasoning additions, if a pickle is mushy it is generally unpleasant. Cucumbers and other high-water vegetables are more prone to going soft than the more fibrous root vegetables like carrots. Fermented cucumbers, just like other pickles, can get mushy if the proper precautions aren’t taken. That is why it is also important to understand the three factors in maintaining a pickle’s crunch:

Tannins in the brine. The astringent quality found in tea and other tree leaves is the property needed to keep pickles crunchy. These tannins can be found in black tea leaves, oak leaves, grape leaves, and mesquite leaves. Use a couple of larger leaves or a small gathering of the smaller leaves in a quart of pickles. Just a pinch of organic black tea will have the same benefits. You won’t eat them or even really notice their flavor, but they will aid in keeping the cucumbers crunchy through the fermentation and storage.

Remove the blossom end of the cucumber. It is said that removing just a small slice from this end of the cucumber can aid in preventing the work of a softening enzyme.

Cooler fermentation environment. Fermenting at higher temperatures – 90 or above – quickly breaks the fibers of the vegetable down, resulting in a mushy pickle. Even if all other practices have been followed, a high temperature fermentation can wreak havoc on the structure of a vegetable. Aim for a cooler space such as a basement or cellar where temperatures of 60-85 degrees can be achieved.

Don’t slice your cucumbers too thinly. Small pickling cucumbers can be used as can large ones cut into your favorite shapes – slices, spears, or chunks. However, very thinly sliced cucumbers tend to go to mush during the fermentation process, so slices of at least ¼” should be made.

Cloudy brine, sediment at the bottom of the jar, and a tangy flavor are all good indications that fermentation is nearing completion. Image by Shannon Stonger.

Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles

This recipe is very near the cucumber pickles flavored generously with garlic and dill. The addition of red pepper flakes gives the pickles a bit of heat, if desired. The most important aspect of the ingredients, however, is that the vegetables be very fresh and all the ingredients pure so as to not hinder the natural fermentation process.

Note that this recipe makes one quart of fermented pickles so double or triple as needed.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tablespoons Himalayan salt
• 2 larger tannin-containing leaves or a ¼ teaspoon organic black tea
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 flower head of fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or pickling spice (optional)
• 3 – 3.5 cups fresh pickling cucumbers or chopped larger cucumbers
• Filtered water as needed

Directions

1. To a glass quart jar or similar vessel, add the salt, tannin-containing leaves, garlic cloves, dill, and red pepper flakes if using.
2. On top of the salt and seasonings, pack the cucumbers into the jar tightly, leaving at least 1.5 inches of headspace from the rim of the jar. Pour in filtered water just until the cucumbers are covered by approximately ¼ inch of the brine. Place a fermentation weight or thick slice of root vegetable into the jar to weight down the cucumbers, ensuring that they will stay below the level of the brine.
3. Cap the jar tightly and place at cool room temperature (60-80 degrees) to ferment, fastening an airlock if using. The fermentation process will be noticeable within 24 hours as gases are released as a by-product of fermentation. At this point, and for several days afterward, “burp” the jar twice daily by gently opening the jar just enough to release pressure and then swiftly closing it tightly back up. This will allow the trapped carbon dioxide to escape without introducing foreign organisms into the fermentation.
4. Allow the pickles to ferment for 7-10 days at room temperature. Taste for tang and completed fermentation starting at the seven day mark. If you find them to your liking, move them to a refrigerator, cellar, basement, or other cold storage facility. If the temperature you are fermenting at is cooler and the pickles need more time, keep checking them every couple of days for completion.

About the Author

Shannon Stonger grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota. She studied chemistry in college, graduated, and married her husband one month later. They were then blessed with two baby boys within the first four years of marriage. Having babies gave their family a desire to return to the old paths – to nourish their family with traditional, homegrown foods; rid their home of toxic chemicals and petroleum products; and give their boys a chance to know a simple, sustainable way of life. They are currently building a homestead from scratch on two little acres in central Texas. There’s a lot to be done to become somewhat self-sufficient, but they are debt-free and get to spend their days living this simple, good life together with their four young children.