Fermented Pickled Cucumbers Recipe
Crunchy, tangy, probiotic-rich fermented pickled cucumbers. hese crunchy mini cucumbers ferment in a week and will last for ages in the fridge - if you can resist them 😉!
Equipment
- 1 jar approximately 1 liter (approx. 1 quart) capacity, with lid
- 1 funnel optional
- 1 measuring jug
- 1 scale to weigh the salt
Ingredients
- 500 g cucumbers small and as straight as possible
- 1 liter water
- 25 g salt fine sea salt, preferably non-iodized
- 3 garlic cloves sliced thickly
- 20 g dill
- 1 medium red chili sliced
- 1 tsp allspice berries optional
Instructions
Clean & trim the cucumbers
- Rinse cucumbers thoroughly in cold water and trim off the stem and blossom ends.
Make the brine
- Dissolve the salt (25g per liter of water) in the water to make a brine. You may have some brine left after filling the jar.
Prepare the garlic, herbs and spices
- Peel the garlic, slice each clove in thick slices and set aside. Give the dill a quick rinse under the cold water tap. Slice the chili if adding. Measure the spices if adding.
Stuff the jar
- In a jar (approximately 1 liter capacity) add dill, a few garlic slices, then start packing the cucumbers vertically. Don’t force them too much, but press gently to pack them tight enough so they don’t float above the brine.
- Add more garlic, dill, and chili slices midway through filling and in any gaps.
- The cucumbers should be wedged just under the jar neck. If you have a fermentation weight you can place it on top (or a ramekin or a clean ziplock bag filled with water).
Pour the brine and let the fermentation begin!
- Add the brine over the cucumbers until everything is fully submerged.
- Cover with a lid and set on the counter at room temperature, but not too close to any heat sources or sunlight. Put the jar on a tray or plate, because some of the brine may leak during fermentation.
Burp daily 🫧
- After 2-3 days (depending on how warm your kitchen is, you will notice the brine in the jar getting slightly cloudy.
- Every day for the next week, use a clean straw to gently blow into the jar to release gases formed by the friendly bacteria. You may notice the cucumbers tend to rise up, just push them down gently.
Store the fermented cucumbers in the fridge
- With a clean spoon taste the brine daily from day 3 onward to see how sour you like it. When tangy and still crunchy, transfer to the fridge. If you want them more sour you can extend the fermentation for a few more days.
Video
Notes
Use fine sea salt ideally, try and avoid salt that has anticaking agents (they prevent the salt from getting soggy), they may hinder the natural fermentation.
The blossom end of cucumbers contains enzymes that can soften them - trimming helps keep your pickles crunchy.
Put the jar on a tray or plate, just in case some of the brine may leak during fermentation.
Fermentation speed depends on temperature: warmer kitchens (5-7 days), cooler spaces (up to 10 days ).
Don’t worry if there is a slight sediment settled at the bottom of the jar, it’s normal and a good sign of active fermentation.
Always keep cucumbers submerged to prevent mold.
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