Yeah, I totally get it. I should have said "If you have fermented pickles from the store, like Bubbies, you can use the brine from that to start your own batch."
Lisa Cornell The easiest way to get sauerkraut or fermented pickle juice is to go to your local health food store, or grocery store that carries a few healthy products, and look for Bubbies dill pickles or sauerkraut in the refrigerated section. That's what I use when I don't have any homemade stuff around and it works perfectly! The other idea's that I am testing right now are adding "live" apple cider vinegar (Bragg's is a great brand- but anything that says cultured,fermented, "live mother" will work) to the water. A lot of pickles are made using vinegar anyway, but many people don't like the vinegary taste, so I'm playing with quantity right now to see how little I can add and still get a culture going. If you try this method, just add a Tbs or two to a quart jar. My other option that I am experimenting with now is to simply add a capsule of probiotics to the water (around 30 billion units). They are fermenting now, so I'll let you know if I have success. Thanks for your question!
Robert Drangus Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe an amount of 'mother' left over from making bread? Or even a pinch of bread yeast in a cup of water with a pinch of or amount of flour added to ferment over a day or two while covered loose at room temp? Could a sufficient starter be made like this. I love pickle with minimal vinegar. The same with fresh ground horse radish. The cucumber and horse radish keep more of the original flavor. I have made pickles with just salt water and garlike sitting just several days or so in the fridge. Even those stay pretty crisp. Only I make the brine rather salty and lotsts of garlic so the short sitting time still flavors the cucumbers. The only thing is if they are left for a couple week then the salt and garlic will really 'sink' in like a concentrated flavor. I kind of like that too.
This is one of the easiest recipes I've found and made a batch tonight (used Braggs instead of the fermented pickle juice). Hopefully it'll turn out as crispy as yours did. Will report back in 2-4 weeks. Thanks for a great video
This looks great. I'm going to try. How much salt per water? I didn't notice if you mentioned that. Also, does horse radish root or tumeric help with crunchiness?
Rocky Ruggiero Here's the written recipe:www.healthnutnation.com/2014/08/18/garlic-dill-pickle-recipe/ I haven't tried turmeric or horseradish for crunchiness. I generally just use the grape leaf for that. Turmeric would make the pickles orange however.
Very easy to understand video and It really would help some people if you showed which end is the blossom end - so many people are confused about this. Also raspberry leaf and bay leaf contains tanning along with black tea bag. In Australia we have a product called BioBubble (a liquid) that can be used as a starter. Thanks for sharing, I'm passing it on to my FB Demented Fermenters people
Judy Williams Thanks for the additional information. I'll look for a cucumber with a bigger blossom end, take a picture of it and at least put it in the written article. Thanks for the suggestion and additional information. I had no idea you could use raspberry leaves or black tea! I wish we had something like BioBubble here... Thanks for sharing!
You can get some online but they are quite expensive. I've tried to find more of these larger glass weights both on Amazon and at local craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michaels) and have had NO luck. Might be able to special order online, but I've yet to find them again. Sorry!
Linda Prestegord I bought mine at a local beer supply place nearby. They had all sorts of fermentation things. ( I even found a jun scoby that I had been looking for! Like kombucha only this ferment uses honey and green tea and is done quicker, like 4 days)
you said 2-4 weeks ?? I live in Florida its usually warm and I can get it done in a mater of 4 days. should I keep it longer? They are crispy but the taste is okay but Im sure it could be better.
Put them in the fridge they will still ferment but at a slower rate. All other videos I have seen does suggest to finish fermenting pickles in the fridge after 5/4 on the shelf else they will get to soft. That is the way I do it and have been making them for years. I like to watch other ferment vid though to see if I can learn something new. Didn't get anything out if this one. Didn't even tell you how much salt to use
I get a few cucumbers every other day. Can I fill jar with brine and spices then add cukes a few at a time over a week or so till full and still be alright.
TIM HUE Yes, I'm sure that will work as long as you keep whatever cukes are in the jar under the brine. I'm planning on doing this myself this summer, as like you I get a couple every few days.
So we don't know if this is distilled water or tap or boiled. or the salt ratio.and since we don't know how to make this, we wouldn't have any juice left from last time.
Or just a 1/4 teaspoon of good Dannon brand LIVE yoghurt/ or "Activia" brand yoghurt works too!. Try PURPLE cabbage fermented, with thin slice or tiny spears of fresh red beet added. Carrot have alot of sugar, which also speed up fermentation. Most impt, is to keep it away from oxygen (air) and also in a warm, dark place (light destroys vitamin C).
Let's hear about problems. I've made two batches last year & two this year & they were perfect but the batch I made & was done yesterday had white mold ...not the usual green grey mold floating on top & it smelled a lil' bit of sulfur . I ate one & it didn't taste wonderful like the others I made. I didn't get sick . I did jar them up & refriged them. Don't know what happened. Use my home grown cukes & dill, distilled water & pickling salt just as the formula states.
Is this just as safe as the water bath method? How long are they good for? No refrigeration needed? Also if I use these pickles in a water bath after I ferment them, will they stay crunchy after the water bath? Thanks
+Tara R This is different from the water bath method, as they must be refrigerated after the fermentation process is complete. I've got some in my fridge from a year ago that are perfect and very crunchy. If you water bath can these after you ferment them, you will kill off all of the good bacteria. It's either-or, you can't do both. Here's the article I wrote that may help answer some of your questions. www.healthnutnation.com/2014/08/18/garlic-dill-pickle-recipe/
+HealthNutNation ok Thank you I am definitely going to try this! When I make refrigerator pickles it says to use a bay leaf if you don't have a grape leaf to keep them crisp. Can I use this when fermenting as well?
+HealthNutNation Ok so it was one week yesterday. After 5 days it wasn't looking cloudy so I added more brags apple cider vinegar (I had no previous brine to start with) and it's really not looking much different. The only thing I did differently was put everything in a one gallon clip jar and not 2. I used persian cucumbers. Should I just let them sit for longer? I'm wondering if this is because it's been a little colder? Thanks
+Tara R Upon further examination (and tasting) it looks like on some of them the top of the cucumber seems to have fermented quicker because they are not as dark as the bottoms. Not sure if that means anything
Looks like you forgot to trim the ends off of that first pickle that went in....lol I have a habit of noticing small things like that. Thanks for the video
Garlic dill pickles were invented so that vinegar pickles tasted good. Lacto-fermentation is for cucumbers to make sour pickles no Dill no garlic no onions no pickle seasoning no mixing of ferment and on and on. A dill pickle is for a vinegar and pickle or for a half sour. When you are making sour pickles you have cucumbers water and salt and that is it and you better be waiting your salt!!! I started to make pickles with my grandmother at 8 years old by the time I was 10 she was gone and I was still doing the pickles for the family. My mother picked up doing them with me but I like to do them myself when I was a kid. Four generations of my family know how to make fermented pickles and you don't!
If I had a "last batch" I wouldn't be watching this video since I'd already know how to make these pickles!!!
Yeah, I totally get it. I should have said "If you have fermented pickles from the store, like Bubbies, you can use the brine from that to start your own batch."
Cheryl Houghton truth is it’s a waste to add a starter for pickles anyway.
Cheryl Houghton
Cheryl, I certainly hope you’ve become more mature in the last three years but, I doubt it! 😳🙄🤦🏻♀️
How much salt? How much water?
3 tbls salt, 2 quarts water.
lol same
You don't have to add any starter liquid from previous batches to the brine....
It helps the process moving forward.
Sean Kandel another video please but fermenting dill pickles another video please now
yes but isn't required
Have to say love the 1970s Shaft music you used while stuffing the jar nice touch!
Going to try this soon!
Been watching lots of vids, and everybody has slightly differing ingredients.
What if you have never made pickles or krout before...what would you use for juice?
Lisa Cornell The easiest way to get sauerkraut or fermented pickle juice is to go to your local health food store, or grocery store that carries a few healthy products, and look for Bubbies dill pickles or sauerkraut in the refrigerated section. That's what I use when I don't have any homemade stuff around and it works perfectly! The other idea's that I am testing right now are adding "live" apple cider vinegar (Bragg's is a great brand- but anything that says cultured,fermented, "live mother" will work) to the water. A lot of pickles are made using vinegar anyway, but many people don't like the vinegary taste, so I'm playing with quantity right now to see how little I can add and still get a culture going. If you try this method, just add a Tbs or two to a quart jar. My other option that I am experimenting with now is to simply add a capsule of probiotics to the water (around 30 billion units). They are fermenting now, so I'll let you know if I have success. Thanks for your question!
HealthNutNation I was going to ask what Lisa asked. This whole method reminds me of sourdough 'mothers'. Would yeast possibly work with pickling?
Robert Drangus Exactly what I was thinking. Maybe an amount of 'mother' left over from making bread? Or even a pinch of bread yeast in a cup of water with a pinch of or amount of flour added to ferment over a day or two while covered loose at room temp? Could a sufficient starter be made like this. I love pickle with minimal vinegar. The same with fresh ground horse radish. The cucumber and horse radish keep more of the original flavor. I have made pickles with just salt water and garlike sitting just several days or so in the fridge. Even those stay pretty crisp. Only I make the brine rather salty and lotsts of garlic so the short sitting time still flavors the cucumbers. The only thing is if they are left for a couple week then the salt and garlic will really 'sink' in like a concentrated flavor. I kind of like that too.
This is one of the easiest recipes I've found and made a batch tonight (used Braggs instead of the fermented pickle juice). Hopefully it'll turn out as crispy as yours did. Will report back in 2-4 weeks. Thanks for a great video
Do you leave the brine on the pickles when they get ready, or do you pour off?
This looks great. I'm going to try. How much salt per water? I didn't notice if you mentioned that. Also, does horse radish root or tumeric help with crunchiness?
Rocky Ruggiero Here's the written recipe:www.healthnutnation.com/2014/08/18/garlic-dill-pickle-recipe/
I haven't tried turmeric or horseradish for crunchiness. I generally just use the grape leaf for that. Turmeric would make the pickles orange however.
I am doing this for the first time. Where do get the fermented pickle juice or sauerkraut brine?
Just use all salt water if you don't have your own leftover fermented juice. All the juice does is speed things up a little.
Very easy to understand video and It really would help some people if you showed which end is the blossom end - so many people are confused about this. Also raspberry leaf and bay leaf contains tanning along with black tea bag.
In Australia we have a product called BioBubble (a liquid) that can be used as a starter.
Thanks for sharing, I'm passing it on to my FB Demented Fermenters people
Judy Williams Thanks for the additional information. I'll look for a cucumber with a bigger blossom end, take a picture of it and at least put it in the written article. Thanks for the suggestion and additional information. I had no idea you could use raspberry leaves or black tea! I wish we had something like BioBubble here... Thanks for sharing!
Where are you? I know Bio Bubble is available in the States
www.ntshealth.com.au/bio-bubble.html
Judy Williams I'm in the Pacific Northwest, but I can get anything online. Thank you!
Where do you get the weights to hold down pickles?
You can get some online but they are quite expensive. I've tried to find more of these larger glass weights both on Amazon and at local craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michaels) and have had NO luck. Might be able to special order online, but I've yet to find them again. Sorry!
Linda Prestegord I bought mine at a local beer supply place nearby. They had all sorts of fermentation things. ( I even found a jun scoby that I had been looking for! Like kombucha only this ferment uses honey and green tea and is done quicker, like 4 days)
We're did u get the glass jar at
I know I've gotten some from IKEA, some from TJ Maxx and some from Amazon. They're all good!
Hobby lobby has great glass
I wish you would have given amounts of salt,mustard seed etc...
you said 2-4 weeks ?? I live in Florida its usually warm and I can get it done in a mater of 4 days. should I keep it longer? They are crispy but the taste is okay but Im sure it could be better.
Put them in the fridge they will still ferment but at a slower rate. All other videos I have seen does suggest to finish fermenting pickles in the fridge after 5/4 on the shelf else they will get to soft. That is the way I do it and have been making them for years. I like to watch other ferment vid though to see if I can learn something new. Didn't get anything out if this one. Didn't even tell you how much salt to use
I use Himalayan Pink salt for sauerkraut. Can I use that for the salt?
what is the weight u r using to weigh down pickles? also, can I use sauerkraut juice from a jar of s
sauerkraut?
Can you toss the spices before you add them in the pickle jar?
Keri Hon Absolutely! Let me know how they turn out ok?
where i can get these leafs for crunch
She adds grape leaves for crispness. I assume it is because of tannins contained in the leaves. You can use2-3 bay leaves also.
What are Persian cucumbers?
I'm not sure, but you could likely use them.
How much salt to water ratio?
I get a few cucumbers every other day. Can I fill jar with brine and spices then add cukes a few at a time over a week or so till full and still be alright.
TIM HUE Yes, I'm sure that will work as long as you keep whatever cukes are in the jar under the brine. I'm planning on doing this myself this summer, as like you I get a couple every few days.
Lacto fermented?
I need that JAR!
Where do you get grape leaf??? My cultured pickles taste good, but soggy
WHERE DID YOU BUY THE WEIGHTS TO HOLD THE PICKLES DOWN? THANKS.
+ravenblackhawke At the craft store, but you can find various sizes on Amazon
Many thanks! and how many quarts does that canning jar hold please and thanks again!
+ravenblackhawke I think it's a gallon, so 4 quarts...
It's all about that CRUNCH!
agreed!
So we don't know if this is distilled water or tap or boiled. or the salt ratio.and since we don't know how to make this, we wouldn't have any juice left from last time.
Finally a short video but no measurements.
I don't have the starter liquid from previous lacto-ferment. Can I use fresh, (not powdered) whey like I use for my fermented fruits?
Absolutely!
Or just a 1/4 teaspoon of good Dannon brand LIVE yoghurt/ or "Activia" brand yoghurt works too!. Try PURPLE cabbage fermented, with thin slice or tiny spears of fresh red beet added. Carrot have alot of sugar, which also speed up fermentation. Most impt, is to keep it away from oxygen (air) and also in a warm, dark place (light destroys vitamin C).
Let's hear about problems. I've made two batches last year & two this year & they were perfect but the batch I made & was done yesterday had white mold ...not the usual green grey mold floating on top & it smelled a lil' bit of sulfur . I ate one & it didn't taste wonderful like the others I made. I didn't get sick . I did jar them up & refriged them. Don't know what happened. Use my home grown cukes & dill, distilled water & pickling salt just as the formula states.
No vinegar?
Is this just as safe as the water bath method? How long are they good for? No refrigeration needed? Also if I use these pickles in a water bath after I ferment them, will they stay crunchy after the water bath? Thanks
+Tara R This is different from the water bath method, as they must be refrigerated after the fermentation process is complete. I've got some in my fridge from a year ago that are perfect and very crunchy. If you water bath can these after you ferment them, you will kill off all of the good bacteria. It's either-or, you can't do both.
Here's the article I wrote that may help answer some of your questions. www.healthnutnation.com/2014/08/18/garlic-dill-pickle-recipe/
+HealthNutNation ok Thank you I am definitely going to try this! When I make refrigerator pickles it says to use a bay leaf if you don't have a grape leaf to keep them crisp. Can I use this when fermenting as well?
+Tara R I'm sure it would work with fermentation as well.
+HealthNutNation Ok so it was one week yesterday. After 5 days it wasn't looking cloudy so I added more brags apple cider vinegar (I had no previous brine to start with) and it's really not looking much different. The only thing I did differently was put everything in a one gallon clip jar and not 2. I used persian cucumbers. Should I just let them sit for longer? I'm wondering if this is because it's been a little colder? Thanks
+Tara R Upon further examination (and tasting) it looks like on some of them the top of the cucumber seems to have fermented quicker because they are not as dark as the bottoms. Not sure if that means anything
You forgot to say amount of ingredients or at least salt percentage per litre or gallon of water
You didn't say how much salt you used. That would help.
+zulu malo Here is the article with the written recipe: www.healthnutnation.com/2014/08/18/garlic-dill-pickle-recipe/
Not a very clear recipe. Vague!
Looks like you forgot to trim the ends off of that first pickle that went in....lol
I have a habit of noticing small things like that.
Thanks for the video
Garlic dill pickles were invented so that vinegar pickles tasted good. Lacto-fermentation is for cucumbers to make sour pickles no Dill no garlic no onions no pickle seasoning no mixing of ferment and on and on. A dill pickle is for a vinegar and pickle or for a half sour. When you are making sour pickles you have cucumbers water and salt and that is it and you better be waiting your salt!!! I started to make pickles with my grandmother at 8 years old by the time I was 10 she was gone and I was still doing the pickles for the family. My mother picked up doing them with me but I like to do them myself when I was a kid. Four generations of my family know how to make fermented pickles and you don't!
Sounds like you like your pickles, there are others that like theirs, and neither is wrong.