Dilly Sour Pickles
Totally full of probiotics and simple to create. Do you like them spicy and infused with garlic? Or mild and dilly? Fermented foods are rich in probiotics increasing your good intestinal flora.
- 1 qt wide mouth jar
- 1-2 english cucumbers (or 6-8 cocktail cucumbers)
- 1 tsp whole pepper corns
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1-2 large sprigs of fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried)
- 3 bay leaves (or another tannin—see notes)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup filtered water
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (like Himalayan or Celtic sea salt)
Place the pepper corns, 1 garlic clove, and half of the dill in the bottom of the jar.
Stuff as many pickles in the jar as you can, with the bay leaves and the rest of the dill, while leaving about an inch at the top; these pickles can be whole, cut in half, quartered, or sliced. Add the other garlic clove.
In a separate container with a spout, mix together ¾ cups of water and salt. Once most of the salt has dissolved, pour it into the jar with the cucumbers to fully cover. You may need to add a weight to the top to ensure the pickles do not float to the top.
When fermenting takes place, foods need to be totally submerged in the brine. Add a cheese cloth or a dish towel over the top and secure it with a rubber band. Let the jar sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 days. The liquid may become slightly bubbly and cloudy. When the pickles reach your desired taste, cover and refrigerate. These pickles can last 3 to 4 months in the refrigerator.
To keep the pickles crispy, tannins from black tea or a grape leaf can be used. Other tannins include: oak leaves, cherry leaves, horseradish leaves, green banana leaves, or bay leaves. The tannins prevent the cell walls from breaking down, leaving a crunchy pickle.
Additional spices that can be added to pickles are mustard seeds, dry mustard, ground ginger, broken cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, or coriander seeds.