Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles
This is the real thing! There is a lot of buzz in the nutrition world about drinking pickle juice for it's health benefits. The brine from these fermented dills is filled with probiotics to boost your immune system and gut health unlike their counterparts that sit on the store shelf void of nutrients. Choose pickling cucumbers for this recipe. Be certain to remove the ends of the cucumbers and soak them in a bit of ice water before placing them in the jar to ferment. Cucumbers require a tannin in order to maintain their crispness. Tannins include bay leaves, grape leaves, tea leaves raspberry leaves and even oak leaves. Ferment cucumbers whole, in spears or sliced. Whole cucumbers may require a longer ferment time.
In a quart jar layer:
Cucumber (whole, cut into spears or sliced)
sliced onion
2 garlic cloves
choice of tannin
Brine ratio: 1 tablespoon finely ground pink Himalayan sea salt dissolved into 2 cups of water.
Pour brine over cucumber mixture and follow proper weighting method to keep them submerged (see 'Lacto-Fermenting 101' in recipes). Cover jar with a lid, removing lid daily to burp. Ferment time: 1 to 3 weeks. Place jar in refrigerator where it can be stored for several months.
Suggested herbs and spices: dill weed, dill seed and mustard seed
Tip: When using dried spices, wrap them in a piece of cheesecloth or put them in a tea bag and place it in the bottom of the jar. This method will prevent your herbs and spices from floating and possibly creating a mold issue.
Happy Fermenting!
