Deli-Style Sour Pickles
These fermented pickles are perfectly crisp, sour, and full of garlic. Yum!
Servings: 10 quart-size jars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 pounds fresh-picked pickling cucumbers
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- 16 cups boiling water (non-chlorinated or filtered)
- 8 cups cold water (non-chlorinated or filtered)
- 10 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 bunch fresh, flowering dill
- 5 tsp coriander seed
- 5 tsp whole black pepper
- 10 chilli peppers (optional)
Instructions
- Use the freshest, unwaxed cucumbers possible, keeping them chilled when not pickling. Wash cucumbers well in the sink, removing any bruised or discoloured cucumbers.
- Bring 16 cups of water to a boil and add in the kosher salt, stirring to dissolve. Use non-chlorinated or filtered water so the minerals or chorine don't affect fermentation. Let brine water cool.
- Cut the blossom end (vs the stem end) of the cucumber off. You may also slice the cucumbers if you prefer.
- Divide the garlic, dill leaves, dill flowers, spices, and chilli peppers among the jars.
- Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jars so they don’t float up once the bring is added. Leave enough headspace for the bring to completely cover them.
- Add cold water to the brine to cool it down more. It should be at room temperature before pouring on the cucumbers. Pour brine on the cucumbers, securing them with a lid.
- Set the jar on the counter to ferment. “Burp” the pickles daily by letting the air escape and replace the lid loosely.
- After three days, try a pickle for flavour. Keep fermenting until they’ve reached the sourness you prefer. Move to the fridge to store, and consume within 30 days.