Name: Homemade Fermented Pickles
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Homemade Fermented Pickles

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Check out my FREE blogging success masterclassSharing is caring!Jump to RecipeHomemade lacto-fermented pickles couldn’t be easier or more delicious. If you have time to slice them up and add them to salt water, you have time to make this recipe. This is seriously the simplest recipe ever and makes the best&nbsp;tasting,&nbsp;mildly sour, probiotic pickles.This easy fermented pickle recipe honestly seems like a pretty sorry excuse for a blog post.I mean, really. How could anything with so few steps and ingredients ever be considered revolutionary enough to be worthy of your time, dear reader?Well, if your garden overfloweth with homegrown cucumbers and/or you want to start incorporating more fermented vegetables into your diet, &nbsp;I think you will love this super simple recipe.Honestly, it has been a game changer for me with my last few cucumber harvests.I remember last year, we ate more vinegar cucumbers, cucumber cream cheese sandwiches on&nbsp;sourdough, and plain old salted cucumbers than we could stand.&nbsp;Soon, I started making cucumber mint infused water by the gallon. But after all that, what else was a girl to do?I mean, making fermented cucumber pickles is hard, right? Surely no mom of seven has time for that!Now, I’m thinking, “Why the heck didn’t I just make more lacto-fermented pickles?!”Read more on the benefits of fermented vegetables&nbsp;HERE.Spoiler alert: there are only three ingredients in this recipe: cucumbers, water, and salt.That’s it.You may be thinking that fermenting vegetables is intimidating and scary.Isn’t there some recipe that doesn’t require fermenting?Yes, there are. But, guess what? They are actually HARDER than this simple recipe, and nowhere near as beneficial for the gut!Before I started&nbsp;fermenting vegetables&nbsp;myself, I was overwhelmed by all the options that I saw all over Pinterest. “How to Ferment Vegetables with Whey”, “Best Starter for Homemade Fermented Vegetables”, “Why Lacto Fermentation is the Best”, “Best Air Locks for Home Fermenting”…… Whaaaaaa?For a few years I decided that fermenting was too difficult. I was going to go crawl in a hole and avoid any article that resembled a fermenting tutorial.Friends, I’ve been there. If you’re where I was, let me gently back you off that ledge and give a quick science lesson.Salt is a special little mineral that prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.When ferments are submerged in a salt brine, the good bacteria present on the fresh vegetables, namely Lactobacillus, can proliferate and grow uninhibited by bad bacteria. It also helps turn sugars into lactic acid.So, my point is… all you need for vegetable fermentation is salt, veggies, and water. The process really couldn’t be any easier and less intimidating.Read about how to make&nbsp;homemade sauerkraut here&nbsp;and&nbsp;homemade kimchi here.Think of fermentation as growing your own probiotics full of health benefits.Now, on to the easy fermented pickle recipe.We love these sour pickles, and you can bet I will be making many, many more this summer, as we are up to our ears in garden cucumbers.For my next batch, I am going to just throw the freshly sliced cucumbers in the brine from the previous batch. Since it is already teeming with the beneficial bacteria, it will serve as a jump start for the process in the next batch.Fermented vegetables, like these fermented pickles, can last six months or more in the refrigerator, IF you can go that long without eating them all up.This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure&nbsp;here.Salt&nbsp;– Himalayan salt and sea salt are your best options. You don’t want to use iodized salt. Kosher salt may also be a good option, but it may contain anti-caking agents which you want to avoid.Water&nbsp;– Preferably filtered water. City water can contain chlorine which can inhibit the good bacteria growth.Cucumbers&nbsp;– Pickling varieties of cucumbers are the best choice because they contain less water and tend to stay crunchier than other types. You can use other types of cucumbers, but they may not have a great texture after fermentation.Pickling cucumbers work best due to their lower water concentration, but any cucumbers will work.&nbsp;Choose small to medium sized cucumbers. Small cucumbers are the best.&nbsp;I like to use&nbsp;Pink Himalayan Salt. You could use&nbsp;sea salt&nbsp;or&nbsp;Celtic salt, but don’t use iodized table salt.Salt creates an environment that prevents bad bacteria from growing and allows the good bacteria, Lactobacillus, to thrive. It also helps keep the vegetables crunchy and slows down the fermentation process which helps add a lot of flavor.&nbsp;Half gallon glass jar. Quart jar will also work, I just like to make big batches at a time.Fermenting weightsFermenting lidsBerkey Water Filter&nbsp;(optional)KnifeCutting boardAdd four tablespoons of&nbsp;salt&nbsp;to a&nbsp;half gallon size mason jar.Next, bring a couple cups of filtered water to a simmer. This is going to be used to dissolve the salt.Add the hot water to the salt and stir to combine. Fill the jar the rest of the way with filtered water and set aside to cool.&nbsp;Add sliced cucumbers to another half gallon mason jar. I like using small, firm pickling cucumbers.I like to slice them in approximately half-inch rounds. If they are too thin, they can get soggy, and who likes soggy pickles?Now, this is the part where you could get creative and add parsley, dill, cloves of garlic, or whole black peppercorns.Emphasis on the COULD.As in, you don’t have to.My kiddos love these sour brine pickles, and I just don’t want to mess a good thing up. I’m afraid they would turn their noses up at garlic parsley pickles with peppercorns, and we wouldn’t want that.If you want to make dill pickles, add about two heads of fresh dill per half gallon or some dill seeds.I added some parsley for the photo,&nbsp;but like I said, I just pulled that little sprig right back out and got on with my plain Jane pickle makin’.After the salt water brine has cooled, add it to the jar of cucumbers, leaving at least 2 inches of headspace at the top.Add a fermentation weight to keep the sliced cucumbers under the brine. You want to make sure the cucumbers stay under the brine to prevent mold from developing.After the cucumbers are weighed down in the salty brine, cover the jar with a fermentation lid and place the jar ring on loosely.Fermenting does create some natural gases that need to be released, so if you are not using a fermentation lid, don’t screw the lid on too tightly. However, do keep it covered so flies and varmints don’t decide to feast on your pickles.You can also use these&nbsp;Pickle It fermenting lids, but you definitely don’t have to. The purpose of the lids is to allow gases to escape, while letting nothing else in.I use them all the time, but they were already in use in other ferments when I was making this tutorial. You can pretty much accomplish the same thing with a loose lid.Place in a dark place out of direct sunlight.Allow to ferment until desired taste is reached. This can be 3-5 days if they are in a warm place, or longer depending on the environment.It usually takes 5-7 days for the fermentation process. After five (or so) days, they will usually taste perfectly pickle-ish.The salt-to-water ratio is commonly between 2-5%. Somewhat depends on taste. Most recipes will call for about 2 tablespoons of salt per quart of water.There is a low risk of pickles making you sick. Always make sure your tools and jars are very clean. Always check for signs of mold and toss if there is mold.If you want your pickles to stay really crunchy you can add a grape leaf to them. This is totally optional, but the tannins in the grape leaf help keep that crunch.Brine pickling is the process of preserving with salt water.Water and salt. It is that simple. You can also add other herbs and spices if desired.No, they are different. Brine refers to a salt-water mixture, while vinegar is an acidic liquid made from the fermentation of alcohol.No. Most store bought pickles are not lacto-fermented unless stated on the label. Due to the canning process, all the good bacteria produced during the fermenting process would be killed.&nbsp;No, lacto-fermentation has the presence of good bacteria that ferments and helps preserve the vegetables. Whereas, pickling is the process of soaking vegetables in a mixture of vinegar, salt, and water which gives it a sour taste.They have a salty, tangy, and slightly acidic flavor.&nbsp;Yes. Add garlic cloves, dill, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes (for some heat), bay leaves, etc.There are lots of vegetables you can lacto-ferment like: beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, garlic, green beans, kohlrabi, peppers, radishes, snap beans, tomatoes (we love making&nbsp;fermented salsa), turnips, and zucchini. I created a whole guide on&nbsp;how to lacto-ferment vegetables here.Typically, I find that my pickles stay pretty crunchy, but if you are struggling with mushy pickles, you can add something that has tannins in it like oat leaves or grape leaves. Adding tannins is an easy way to ensure you get crunchy pickles.If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!&nbsp;Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonbooneContinue to ContentAdd four tablespoons of salt to a half gallon size mason jar.Next, bring a couple cups of filtered water to a simmer. Add the hot water to the salt and stir to combine. Fill the jar the rest of the way with filtered water and set aside to cool.Add thick sliced cucumbers to another half gallon mason jar. Add in optional herbs such as fresh dill, garlic, parsley, or peppercorns. If you want to make dill pickles, add about two heads of fresh dill per half gallon.After the salt water brine has cooled, add it to the jar of cucumbers, leaving at least 2 inches of headspace at the top. Add a weight to keep the sliced cucumbers under the brine. After the cucumbers are weighted down in the salty brine, put the jar lid on loosely. Fermenting does create some natural gases that need to be released, so don’t screw the lid on too tightly, but do keep it covered so flies and varmints don’t decide to feast on your pickles. After five (or so) days, they will taste perfectly pickle-ish.*Don’t use iodized table salt.It is normal for the brine to get cloudy. This is a natural byproduct of vegetable fermentation and does not mean mold. Take one out and try it. If it is sour enough for you, put the lid on tightly, and throw the jar in the fridge. If you would like them to get a little more sour, leave them out at room temperature to ferment a little longer.After you make your first batch, you can use some of the brine to make your next batch. It already contains a plethora of good bacteria, so you’ll be giving your next batch pf probiotic pickles a head start.Thanks so much this was very helpfulReplyMade these this past week. My first attempt at making fermented foods. They turned out amazing. So easy to make thank you for sharing. I do have a question, is the water supposed to be cloudy when done?ReplyI made these and the flavor is amazing but they arent crisp. I had hoped that the inside wouldnt get mushy. Are there any tips that I can try to keep my pickles crisp?ReplyJust made a batch of these and can’t wait to try them out! I was wondering, though: is there any difference when fermenting spears as opposed to round slices?ReplyJust silly questions, perhaps … could we use smaller grocery store cucumbers rather than home grown, since it’s too early here for garden produce yet? I’m concerned that the stores may source veggies that have been treated in any number of ways to cause disruption of the fermentation process? If so, will buying organic ensure that this won’t be a problem?Thanks for this great recipe!ReplyWould this work to make bread and butter pickles? I know most bread and butter recipes required sugar or honey so I’m curious if it would fermented properly still?ReplyCan the brining water be used again for 2nd batch? Or start fresh each time? I love how simple you make things!ReplyHow long do these last in the refrigerator before going bad?ReplyMy saurkraut turned out great but my pickles were beyond soggy! What did I do wrong? I chopped them fairly thick.ReplyMy pickles come out really bed. Can it be because I used the long cucumber From the grocery store?ReplyI made your pickles and your sauerkraut and they are delicious! Could I use this basic pickling method for jalapeños? Have you done that? Wondering if they would stay crunchy. We eat a lot of jalapeños and I would love to ferment them if I can. Thanks!ReplyThis comment is late after the post, hopefully I can still get an answer haha! 🙂 I have no experience in fermenting… so once the pickles are done after 5 days, do you take them out of the jar and store them in the fridge in a different container? Or just pop them in the fridge? You said you didn’t want to keep fermenting them so I just assume you have to remove them from the brine?…. or does refrigeration stop the fermentation process? I know… I’m clueless! Thank you 😀ReplyI love this super rasy recipe! In czech republic we have simillar recipe for fermented pickles, but we are adding dill and horseradish for more spicy taste. it os so yummy and everybody on village are cooking them 🙂ReplyDoes the weight need to be completely submerged? Or can the weight be half submerged? Every time I try this recipe, they mold! HELP! 🙂 I even use a silicone fermenting venting lid! I just want pickles and saurkraut!!!~AmandaReplyHello! I am so excited to try this! I was wondering if one has to use filtered water. We live on a farm and have well water. It is tested and is safe. Can I just use our regular well water for this?ReplyI, too, want to know if you’ve tried sweet pickles. Or bread and butter.Also, when you add fresh cucumbers to a brine you’ve already used, do you take it out of the fridge and leave on the counter for 5 days again?Thank you for your recipes!ReplyHello!We’ve made a few batches so far, but I feel like we’re having contamination issues.. a film develops on the top of the water that makes me think that it’s mold. Is that normal? Does that sound like contamination of some sort? We had the same thing happen with a batch of sauerkraut. One jar was fine, the other one did not taste rightReplyHi!Just wanted to clarify your instructions.…Add four tablespoons of salt to a half gallon size mason jar.Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a simmer.Add sliced cucumbers to a half gallon mason jar.After the salt water has cooled, add it to the jar.Are we supposed to add the 4 tbsp of salt to the 2 cups that are simmering? And not in the mason jar?ReplyIn recipe, first step says to add salt to jar. Later step says to add salted water to jar. Was the salt to be added to the water instead before simmering?ReplyMy son and I made pickles today! He is two and enjoyed putting the pickles in the jar.ReplyI loved your detailed note on fermenting vegetables. Reminded me of the pickled lime, pinaple and gooseberry in my home town.This is a small video – https://www.facebook.com/1971470749753179/posts/2841810589385853/Herbs and pepper can be modified based on your taste buds.ReplyI actually saw this on your blog in the middle of winter and wanted to try it. Now that my cucumbers are coming on strong, I can finally try it.ReplyCan’t wait to try this. We have cucumber coming out the ears! Would love to see your mint, cucumber water recipe post. Thanks!ReplyHi and thanks for your time and effort. The shop-bought pickles are mostly too hard for my taste. Does fermenting longer soften them up? Also, what are them herbs etc floating about and where to buy them, please?ReplyI made this after reading the great reviews but mine are SO salty. I used 4 tablespoons of sea salt, just as the recipe says. What would have caused this?ReplyDo your fermented pickles, get a cloudy color water? Mine are only 3 days in the fermenting stage, but it looks kind of gross, a cloudy murky looking water. Do you have any suggestions as to what might be wrong, or is that normal?Thank you any advice would be greatly appreciated.BrendaReplyYour step by step needs to be adjusted. It says add salt to the mason jars not the water then later on you say when the salt water has cooled?? I’ve already added the salt to the bottom of my mason jars and the cucumbers so there’s no retrieving it. Having someone proof read your step by step instructions will be good for the future. Love your channel!ReplyI couldn’t fit all the water into the jar with the cucumbers. I had about 3 cups left even after packing it down and adding a weight. Is that ok for the salt ratio? Last time I made your fermented sauerkraut I used the leftover bribe to add to the jar as it fermented bc some spilled over the top. That came out delicious!ReplyHi Lisa! These are absolutely delicious!! We are thoroughly enjoying them. 🙂 My question is about the weight – once I transfer the pickles to the fridge can I take the weight out? Is it okay if some pickles are peaking out of the top of the brine?ReplyI just made these for the first time. First time making pickles actually. The salt didn’t fully dissolve and not all the water fit in the jar. Will this still work if not all the salt ends up in the jar?ReplyI made 2 24 oz.jars today one with dill and one without.ReplyDo these need to be refrigerated at any point?ReplyI’ve done this using kefir whey and salt and it went fine, tried it again and there are white blobs that *almost* look like mold (but don’t smell moldy) that have shown up. Do you know what’s happening and if I should be concerned?ReplySo I followed the directions. But all the water won’t fit. I read a comment about that being okay, you just need to make sure the salt to water ratio is correct. So do I need four TB of salt in each half gallon jar, or can I make the brine and disperse it between jars? Thank you so much. I’m so excited to use our cucumber harvest and help our guts!ReplyThank you for your tips. They where very helpful.Good so good 👍ReplyDo you have any suggestions as to how to use the spices that are left in the jar after eating the pickles? I know drinking the brine is good, but I put a goodly amount spices in mine: dill seeds, coriander, crushed red pepper, mustard seeds, black peppercorns and fennel.Thanks so much!ReplyQuestion;I want to use Himalayan salt and mine is course.Do I use course or ground (grinder) Himalayan salt?Once fermented and in the refrig. do I keep the weight on top to keep veg. submerged?ReplyI’m so glad you’re here! Join me and my family as we find beauty in our everyday life in the farmhouse: food from scratch, natural living and a handmade home.more about lisaFrom scratch recipes, natural living tips, and handmade projects straight to your inbox.never miss a postI’m so glad you’re here! Join me and my family as we find beauty in our everyday life in the farmhouse: food from scratch, natural living and a handmade home.livingscratchhomeSkip to Recipe

Check out my FREE blogging success masterclassSharing is caring!Jump to RecipeHomemade lacto-fermented pickles couldn’t be easier or more delicious. If you have time to slice them up and add them to salt water, you have time to make this recipe. This is seriously the simplest recipe ever and makes the best&nbsp;tasting,&nbsp;mildly sour, probiotic pickles.This easy fermented pickle recipe honestly seems like a pretty sorry excuse for a blog post.I mean, really. How could anything with so few steps and ingredients ever be considered revolutionary enough to be worthy of your time, dear...

Homemade Fermented Pickles

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