Lacto fermented pickles

[Yooper]

I know we have some 'fermented foods' threads, but I can't find one specifically for pickles.

I got interested in this from @Randar at first, and @Tiber_Brew took me to new heights of interest. I stopped in at Tiber's house, and he gave Bob and I a sample of his.

So, I made a batch just about a week or so ago. I used a 2% salt brine (with non-iodized pink Himalayan sea salt, since that is what I had) and cut the cucumbers into spears. I added a serrano, three cloves of crushed garlic, a tablespoon of pickling spice, a teaspoon of calcium chloride, and some dill I grabbed from a friend's garden. I didn't use all that much dill, as I don't love it, and I might have overdone the garlic.

I added a teaspoon of sauerkraut brine from some I was fermenting, to help "jumpstart" the pickles fermentation, and it got started right away.

It turned out really good- except I'd like a bit more spicy heat to it. The garlic is very prominent, but I love garlic so that's fine for me. @Randar suggested adding some hot pepper flakes (I make my own out of dried peppers, so they are pretty hot) and I did that just today.

Here's a photo:


The level is low, because we've had a few already. And I'm going to start another batch right away.

But now I wonder- I don't normally love fermented veggies (except for kim chee)- but how about spicy pickled brussel sprouts, done the same way? What else would be good like this?

 

[burninator]

I bet this would be a good mix for some okra and/or baby corn.

 

[Shooter]

I've made a couple of batches of fermented pickles, need to make another. I've also done a couple of sauerkraut batches, one with the addition of caraway seeds that I really liked. I told my wife I would make kimchee, or something similar, next. I bought myself a two gallon ceramic crock and it is the perfect size for fermenting batches of vegetables.

 

[mascervesa]

Ferment some superhot peppers. Make a sauce or just put them in whole if your into the double burn. I have some homegrown habaneros, carolina reaper mix I'm making right now with a little bit of carrot mixed in. Pellicle starting to form since I pitched some lacto from kefir.

 

[Yooper]

Ferment some superhot peppers. Make a sauce or just put them in whole if your into the double burn. I have some homegrown habaneros, carolina reaper mix I'm making right now with a little bit of carrot mixed in. Pellicle starting to form since I pitched some lacto from kefir.

We have trouble growing peppers here, due to the cool climate and short growing season. I just ordered a box of mixed hot peppers, so hopefully that can get me started!

 

[Tiber_Brew]

As Yooper mentioned, I make a lot of fermented foods, including pickles. I love the flavor, the crispness, and as an added bonus, they're pro-biotic!

I ferment pickles 4 lbs at a time in a large glass fermentation crock. Here's a shot of them right after preperation:

Here's a shot a couple days later when the Lactobacillus is showing activity. You can see how cloudy it makes the brine, which is normal (and a good sign):

I keep a lacto starter from the mother and use it to inoculate each batch for consistency, although you can let the naturally occurring Lacto do the bulk of the work if you want. My recipe is simple - 4 lbs of pickling cucumbers, 1.5 oz by weight of dill sprigs, 2 TB of mustard seed (whole), 4 cloves crushed garlic, 2 TB coarse ground black pepper, 2 tsp dill seed, 1 TB calcium chloride, and 4 whole dried hot peppers. I use a brine made from distilled water and 5.5 oz (by weight) of pickling salt per gallon of water. Ferment for 7 days. Then slice the cucumbers into spears, put into jars, and add the strained brine to the jars to top off.

Always keep refrigerated!

 

[sudbuddy]

I think doing this with Okra would be awesome. Pickled okra is one of the finer things in life, in my opinion, and if @yooper made it I'm sure it would be incredible

 

[sudbuddy]

Or asparagus, it might be awesome with asparagus

 

[ChefRex]

I have hot peppers going right now, any one know how long to let it go before use?

 

[GuldTuborg]

Given the shorter Michigan growing seasons, I'd try beets, turnips, and radishes. All are fantastic when fermented in this way.

 

[Shooter]

I ferment pickles 4 lbs at a time in a large glass fermentation crock. Here's a shot of them right after preperation:

Are you using a brine filled bag to keep the cukes under the fermenting brine? That's the method I use.

 

[Yooper]

It looks like that is what Tiber has done.

For me, I just jammed them in the jar, and using a regular mason jar meant they couldn't stick up above the brine in the neck of the jar.

I haven't seen anything resembling an okra here, @sudbuddy but I see them in Texas so maybe that will be a winter thing for me. But asparagus in the spring sounds likely for sure! And beets. We love pickled beets, and I think that would be awesome.

 

[signpost]

I'm not a fan of pickles, but my mother-in-law is and she tried doing a batch in a 3 gallon crock. It's been sitting there for a few days and has shown absolutely no sign of activity and doesn't look anything like the 'after' pictures you have all shown.

My theory is that she killed the lacto. She made her brine along with vinegar 'with the mother' and boiled it. Then poured the boiling liquid over the cucumbers, onions, garlic, dill, and whatever else she added to the crock. Is it just me, or would the boiling temps kill off anything that might do some fermenting?

If I am right, what can be done to start up the fermentation at this point? Can I just throw in a handful of 2-row like I would for a sour mash? Is that likely to be the same type of lacto as what was in the vinegar?

BTW, it's cazy that this thread popped up right as my MIL decided it was time to attempt this.

 

[sudbuddy]

Always keep refrigerated!

Do you mean while it's fermenting? That seems counter-intuitive for lacto. Can you please elaborate?

 

[sudbuddy]

I'm not a fan of pickles

That's just un-American. Please PM me for proper Man Card returning procedures. We'll be in touch.

 

[Shooter]

Do you mean while it's fermenting? That seems counter-intuitive for lacto. Can you please elaborate?

I keep mine at room temp, around 70 degrees, for about a week. Once fermentation is to the point where I am happy, I move them to the refrigerator.

 

[sudbuddy]

I keep mine at room temp, around 70 degrees, for about a week. Once fermentation is to the point where I am happy, I move them to the refrigerator.

That's all it takes? Neat.

 

[ong]

I'm not a fan of pickles, but my mother-in-law is and she tried doing a batch in a 3 gallon crock. It's been sitting there for a few days and has shown absolutely no sign of activity and doesn't look anything like the 'after' pictures you have all shown.



My theory is that she killed the lacto. She made her brine along with vinegar 'with the mother' and boiled it. Then poured the boiling liquid over the cucumbers, onions, garlic, dill, and whatever else she added to the crock. Is it just me, or would the boiling temps kill off anything that might do some fermenting?



If I am right, what can be done to start up the fermentation at this point? Can I just throw in a handful of 2-row like I would for a sour mash? Is that likely to be the same type of lacto as what was in the vinegar?



BTW, it's cazy that this thread popped up right as my MIL decided it was time to attempt this.

I wouldn't add vinegar to a lacto fermentation, and I definitely wouldn't add boiling water on the cukes unless I really wanted them to get mushy. Just exposing the brine to air for awhile should innoculate with lacto (under cheesecloth to keep flies out).

 

[Yooper]

I wouldn't add vinegar to a lacto fermentation, and I definitely wouldn't add boiling water on the cukes unless I really wanted them to get mushy. Just exposing the brine to air for awhile should innoculate with lacto (under cheesecloth to keep flies out).

Vinegar would drop the pH a lot- I'm not sure of the pH where lacto can ferment, but I bet that's way too low.

For lacto pickles, it's simply a 2% salt brine solution (salt and water). That's it. Definitely no vinegar, and definitely no boiling!

 

[StonesBally]

I ferment lots of garden produce. I really like carrots with garlic and tarragon. I do radishes, beets, turnips, beans, cukes, green tomatoes at the end of the season, peppers, hot peppers, and might try tomatillos this season. I use a 5% brine for all of my pickling, unless it's kraut, then I don't use brine, just salt and cabbage.

 

[passedpawn]

I've fermented pickles. After eating a ton of them, I've come to the conclusion that I just like fresh-packed garlic pickles like Claussens, not fermented. I like the fresh flavor and the crunch. I might make some this weekend.

Here are some pickles being fermented. I think I left them for at least a couple of weeks.

 

[burninator]

I've fermented pickles. After eating a ton of them, I've come to the conclusion that I just like fresh-packed garlic pickles like Claussens, not fermented. I like the fresh flavor and the crunch. I might make some this weekend.

Here are some pickles being fermented. I think I left them for at least a couple of weeks.

Are you adding any tannins to your pickles? Try grape, oak, or bay leaves. In a pinch, a tea bag will work, too. It will help maintain the crunchiness.

 

[passedpawn]

Are you adding any tannins to your pickles? Try grape, oak, or bay leaves. In a pinch, a tea bag will work, too. It will help maintain the crunchiness.

I'll add bay leaves. I've read that trick before, but haven't done it. I do add CaCl, which is pickle crisp. Also, like most others, I cut off the end of the cuke that contains the enzymes that make them mushy (I cut off both ends).

 

[estricklin]

I think doing this with Okra would be awesome. Pickled okra is one of the finer things in life, in my opinion, and if @yooper made it I'm sure it would be incredible

If you told me there was a better pickled veggie than okra, I wouldn't give you 10 cents for it! I have not fermented okra, yet, though. The garden is still producing a fair amount of it, and will until the first frost in late October so I may try it. Problem is so much of it ends up getting cooked the same day we pick it.

I have fermented cucumbers, I grow a ton of cucumbers every year because I love them so much. Year before last I fermented an entire 6.5 gallon fermenter of them. Even put it in the ferm chamber for temp control. I like my pickles so freakin hot I can barely stand to eat them, so in go whatever peppers I'm growing along with red pepper flakes. That rule applies to fermented, or canned style.

 

[Yooper]

I'll add bay leaves. I've read that trick before, but haven't done it. I do add CaCl, which is pickle crisp. Also, like most others, I cut off the end of the cuke that contains the enzymes that make them mushy (I cut off both ends).

I used two bay leaves in my batch- it came out really nice.

 

[Resonator]

I've found that my pickles will turn out better if you leave them whole, and just cut the ends off. Cutting them into spears of halves allows them to get soggy if there isn't enough salt left in the solution. (Usually a bigger problem in small or overpacked jars)

For a gallon size batch I usually use:
2-4 crushed garlic cloves
Spoonful each of: whole black peppercorns, dill seeds, whole coriander, and mustard seeds
2-5 arbol chilies
1 crushed bay leaf
1 small fresh dill stalk
1-4 all spice berries

I like salty and crunchy pickles, so I usually mix 3 cups of distilled water with 2 tablespoons of diamond kosher salt.

Fill a gallon ziploc with brine and put it on top of the pickles to weigh them down.

Put them in a styrofoam cooler and check every day until brine is cloudy.

Once cloudy remove the bag and fill jar with more brine until 1/4"-1/2" from top.

Attach lid and then refrigerate.

After about week from refrigerating they should be decently flavored, and will get more sour the longer they sit.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Are you using a brine filled bag to keep the cukes under the fermenting brine? That's the method I use.

Yes. Sometimes it's necessary, sometimes not. It doesn't hurt to use a weighted object (like brine filled bag) just in case.

I'm not a fan of pickles, but my mother-in-law is and she tried doing a batch in a 3 gallon crock. It's been sitting there for a few days and has shown absolutely no sign of activity and doesn't look anything like the 'after' pictures you have all shown.

My theory is that she killed the lacto. She made her brine along with vinegar 'with the mother' and boiled it. Then poured the boiling liquid over the cucumbers, onions, garlic, dill, and whatever else she added to the crock. Is it just me, or would the boiling temps kill off anything that might do some fermenting?

If I am right, what can be done to start up the fermentation at this point? Can I just throw in a handful of 2-row like I would for a sour mash? Is that likely to be the same type of lacto as what was in the vinegar?

Your MIL mixed two different methods of pickling that don't mix well. Yes, you use heat when making vinegar brines, but fermented brines need to never be heated, nor any vinegar.

Do you mean while it's fermenting? That seems counter-intuitive for lacto. Can you please elaborate?

No, after canning. I ferment at room temp.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I wouldn't add vinegar to a lacto fermentation, and I definitely wouldn't add boiling water on the cukes unless I really wanted them to get mushy. Just exposing the brine to air for awhile should innoculate with lacto (under cheesecloth to keep flies out).

There is naturally occurring Lacto on the cukes themselves. Hand wash gently in cold water, put in salt brine, and they ferment.

 

[passedpawn]

There is naturally occurring Lacto on the cukes themselves. Hand wash gently in cold water, put in salt brine, and they ferment.

That's what I did.

Its also a good idea to try to get real pickling cukes (at least avoid the big ones that are waxed).

 

[lschiavo]

Mouth is watering.

Damn deer ate all my cucumbers this year. I was too lazy to fix the fence.

 

[Resonator]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440875595.710246.jpg
Dill pickles start

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440875628.693916.jpg
Fried pickles.

Roll in buttermilk
Roll in cornmeal
Roll back in buttermilk
Roll again in cornmeal

Fry in oil for about 2 minutes or golden brown

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Fried pickles.

Roll in buttermilk
Roll in cornmeal
Roll back in buttermilk
Roll again in cornmeal

Fry in oil for about 2 minutes or golden brown

At what temperature do you fry them? What type of oil?

 

[Resonator]

At what temperature do you fry them? What type of oil?

Medium high heat.
Wesson vegetable oil.
You can also use peanut oil, it's more expensive, but really good.

That's what I did.



Its also a good idea to try to get real pickling cukes (at least avoid the big ones that are waxed).

You can really only pickle Kirby (pickling cucumbers) or lemon cucumbers -- if you want a crunchy pickle at least.

Many of the bigger cucumbers like English or Persian will turn soggy inside and the skin is too thick usually.

 

[Yooper]

I have no idea what type of cucumbers we have- but they are definitely growing bigger than I want so I have to cut them in spears. I swear, I look and there are no cucumbers and zucchini- and the very next day we have killer cucumbers and zucchini in the garden, trying to take over the universe.

I want pickling cucumbers, but no. They insist on growing 3 inches in diameter in 8 hours, when I'm not looking.

 

[Resonator]

I have no idea what type of cucumbers we have- but they are definitely growing bigger than I want so I have to cut them in spears. I swear, I look and there are no cucumbers and zucchini- and the very next day we have killer cucumbers and zucchini in the garden, trying to take over the universe.



I want pickling cucumbers, but no. They insist on growing 3 inches in diameter in 8 hours, when I'm not looking.

Diameter isn't that big of an issue, it's usually length that causes problems. You just need a big jar to fit it all in. May take a bit to sour up, but they're awesome when they do.

If they have bumps and they're not longer than you're hand, they're probably the right type of cucumbers. You want small seeds and thin skin for pickles.

 

[Shooter]

Are you adding any tannins to your pickles? Try grape, oak, or bay leaves. In a pinch, a tea bag will work, too. It will help maintain the crunchiness.

I've used a tea bag, just generic black tea from Safeway.

 

[passedpawn]

I've used a tea bag, just generic black tea from Safeway.

I made a batch this weekend.

I read that the grape/bay leaf trick is unnecessary if you remove the pickle ends. Apparently something in the leaves inhibits the enzymes in the end of the pickle that cause the mushyness.

I added calcium chloride to mine to maintain the crunch. I'm going to leave them on the counter for another day, then refrigerate. I went with the following recipe (mostly from the internet, added my own mods)

• 1 Large White Onion, diced
• 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Teaspoon Whole Yellow Mustard Seed
• 6 Stalks of Dill
• 2 Tablespoons Whole Black Peppercorns
• Fingerling Cucumbers, ends removed, halved
• 1 gallon glass jar
  
  Brine:
  
• 7 Cups Water
• 2 Cups White Vinegar
• 1/3 Cup Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1 tbsp CaCl

Place Onion, Garlic, Mustard Seed, peppercorns, and Dill in bottom of jar. Fill with Cucumbers standing on end.
Heat Brine ingredients to boiling and pour over Cucumbers. Let stand uncovered for 2 days, cover and refrigerate. Pickles will keep refrigerated up to one year.​

 

[Homercidal]

I should try this again. I had fairly good results previously, but I think I let them hang out to long in the brine.

 

[burninator]

I made a batch this weekend.

...

Heat Brine ingredients to boiling and pour over Cucumbers. Let stand uncovered for 2 days, cover and refrigerate. Pickles will keep refrigerated up to one year.

You let that brine cool before pouring it in, right?

 

[passedpawn]

You let that brine cool before pouring it in, right?

Nope. Sounded like a logical thing to do, but the people who profess to have success out there do it exactly like this. (I did preheat the jar before I added the hot brine). I'm not fermenting these BTW. At least not intentionally