My family loves pickles. We like them with bowls of steaming brown rice, on fresh crusty bread and sometime just straight up from the jar. They are easy to make and full of healthful probiotics.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup pickling salt
- 2 quarts water
- 1.5 pounds pickling cucumbers
- 1/2 T red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 t dill seed
- 1/2 t coriander seed
- 1 t mustard seed
- 1 bunch fresh dill
- Several fresh grape leaves (to promote crispness)
Directions:
Make the brine solution by combining the salt and water and stirring until the salt is dissolved.
Put the spices and grape leaves in the bottom of a crock or jar.
Rinse the cucumbers and cut off the blossom end, (to prevent soft pickles). Pack the cukes into the container and cover the contents completely with brine solution. Weight the cukes to be sure they are submerged in the liquid. Anything not covered by brine could rot.
Check in a few days and skim off any scum. Begin tasting your pickles; if you like half sours then they need to ferment about 4 days, for full sours one to two weeks is usually needed. The liquid will turn from clear to cloudy and may fizz.
Place in the fridge when done to slow fermentation. Enjoy!!!
Fresh dill, garlic, mustard seed, grape leaves, salt, coriander, dill seed
Wash cucumbers and trim off blossom end.
Put herbs and spices in bottom of jar.
Pack cucumbers in tightly and fill with brine.
Add rock or bag filled with brine to weight down contents.
Finished pickles!
I'd love to hear from you!