Homemade Pickles

Homemade Pickles

Well, I finally got off my ass and decided to make a batch of pickles at home, and I took some pretty pictures to share with you fine folks.  As I right this, the pickles have been fermenting for a few days already, so its too soon to talk results.  I'm going to do my first taste test after a week of fermenting, and will continue to do so for a few weeks after.  Once they reach that sweet spot I'm looking for, it'll be off to the refrigerator to halt the process....if there's any pickles left after my taste testing that is.

In an earlier post I discussed that there are two ways of making pickles.  The first being an infusion of cucumbers into a mixture of vinegar, water, salt and spices.  This is NOT fermentation, as the acid of the vinegar will prevent any bacteria from becoming active, which is part of why vinegar is such a powerful preservation tool.  This is a "quick" pickling method that can yield tastiness, but it will not have the nutritional and complex flavor benefits of a fermented batch.

Our friend, Mr. Lactobacillus.

The second and "real" way of making pickles is, you guessed it, fermentation.  This method is simply submerging the cucumbers in a brine of salt, water, and whatever spices and aromatics your heart and gut desires.  In lieu of vinegar, we will be relying on the ferment itself to provide the sour profile we associate with pickles.  Most vegetables already have the bacteria lactobacillus present on its surfaces.  By creating a suitable environment (salty water) for this bacteria, the bacteria will feed on the sugars present within the vegetables and convert it into lactic-acid, and that is where the sour comes from.  Lactic-acid bacteria, along with salt, will also prevent other bacteria, the bad guys, from waving their microbial dicks around.


Now let's talk salt.  Salt plays an important role in fermentation, and it's use is a topic that can be debated in a dank cellar with a bottle of whiskey and raised, bushy eyebrows.  In the case of pickles, salt's role in fermentation is two-fold: 1) to remove moisture from within the substrate (fancy talk for the item being fermented, in this case, cucumbers) via osmosis, thus aiding in preservation and crunchiness, and 2) to create an environment that favors lactic-acid bacteria (lactobacillus) and not harmful bacteria.


The amount of salt to use is a subjective question, and depends on the climate, and the final result you're looking for in a pickle.  During the heat of summer, more salt can be used to slow microbial activity, and vice-versa during the cold of winter.  You want a steady fermentation, not a fuck fest of bacteria painting the walls.  As far as flavor and texture goes, the more salt you use, the more sour and crunchy the pickle will be.

Salt used in a brine is usually measured as a percentage of weight proportional to the weight of the total solution.  For example, if we were using a total of 1lb of water for brine and wanted a 2% brine solution, we would use 0.32 ounces of salt (0.32 ounces is 2% of 16 ounces/1lb).  Most pickles have a brine percentage of about 2%-6%, but some pickle in a brine of up to 10%.  This is incredibly salty, and will usually require a soaking the final pickles in freshwater to desalinate the cucumbers.  Remember, osmosis works both ways.

Since most of us don't weigh our ingredients, here is a general salt rule with volume: for one quart of water, 1 tablespoon of sea salt will yield about a 2% brine, 2 tablespoons = about 4%, 3 tablespoons = about 5%, and so on.  I went with a 4% brine for this batch, and once it is done fermenting, I can see if that is a salt level that yields what I am looking for.  Next time I can use less or more, while considering climate conditions.

Long story short, you're gonna have to experiment to find that sweet spot.


Next comes the question of what vessel to ferment these in, which will also help decide how much brine you'll need.  I went with two 1 QT mason jars; I felt like they would be able to comfortable hold one large cucumber each.  Really you can use any kind of container to pickle, as long as its not metal; the salt and lactic-acid will react with the metal, leaving an undesirable taste.  Most common vessels are glass jars, food grade plastic buckets, and ceramic crocks.

What you have to keep in mind when choosing a vessel is how you are going to keep the cucumbers submerged in the brine.  Remember, the vegetable is going to have to be fully under the liquid for it to begin fermenting and not just spoiling due to oxygen.  Most common methods are placing a weight on top the cucumbers to hold them down, which is what I did with the use of some plastic ramekins, and then to cover the top with cheesecloth to keep out bugs and debris.

Keep in mind that you don't want to just seal the vessel with a lid; the fermentation process is going to release carbon-dioxide which is going to need to escape.  They make specialized air locks for just this, so you can spend the money if you want to.  Or you can get creative.

During the fermentation process, mold may grow on the surface. This can be due to a part of the cucumber poking up out of the brine during fermentation, or just because mold is mold and will grow where it can.  If this happens, don't freak out.  All you have to do is either scoop it out, or cut away the moldy part of the substrate.

This leads me to my final point: check on your ferment periodically.  Look at it, smell it, taste it.  It's going to be going for about 1-4 weeks (or longer), and things can happen.  So check them every day and see how they're doing. Pretend you run a day care and have to make sure everyone is playing nicely.  If it smells bad (you'll know), chances are that the fermentation may have gone south.  If there's mold, cut it away.  If it looks/smells like its going well, taste it.  This is the best way that you will get to know your process and see how it is doing.

So, now comes the fun part!  Below is a list of exactly what I used and how, along with some pictures...enjoy!

Everything ready to go.

Ingredients/Supplies

-2 large cucumbers (smaller ones work better but this is all I had)

-4 tablespoons sea salt

-7 garlic cloves

- 2 quarts water

- black pepper (to taste)

- red pepper flakes (to taste)

- fresh dill (to taste)

- 2 quart sized mason jars

- a large mixing bowl

- a whisk

- 2 ramekins that fit into the jars

- cheesecloth 

- rubber bands

Fresh garlic from my buddies farm.

Step 1: fabricate your cukes into havles, spears, chips, whatever!

Step 2:  Pack them into the mason jars.  Note:  you can help the cukes stay crunchier if you rub them with salt and let them sit for a day before pickling.  This will help draw out moisture.

Dill flowers from the dill plant that was growing in the backyard.

Step 3: Clean the garlic cloves, dump them into the jar.

Step 4: Pluck apart the dill, or shove them in whole.

Dill-icious.

Step 5: Crack in some black and red pepper flakes.

Step 6: Have a sip of beer.

Down they go...

Step 7: Combine 2 quarts water with 4 tablespoons sea salt in the bowl.  Whisk with vigor until the salt is dissolved completely.  Note:  since the cumbers will be taking up a large majority of the jars, you'll have some brine left.  Save it for when you have a sore throat or a canker sore; gargling salt water helps.

And now...we wait.

Step 8: Pour in the brine until its just about an inch from the top.  

Step 9: Insert the ramekins, ensuring that they can be go deep enough to push down the cukes under the brine.  Make sure its not an air tight seal; the CO2 needs to be able to escape.

Step 10: Cheesecloth!  The tension of the rubber bands will hold down the cloth hard enough to prevent the pickles from pushing up the ramekins.

A few days later............

Here they are so far!  As you can see, it only takes a few days before the brine gets cloudy and cucumbers turn pickly.  And no mold!  The ramekins are working out great.  Smell wise....*sniiiiifffffff*....almost like a half-sour deli pickle!  Can't wait to see how it changes over the next week.