Fermented Pickles advice

[4Veazeys]

Hi all, new here! Been scouring the internet for info and found this terrific forum!

I am working on my very first ever batch of fermented pickles and something seems amiss.
I followed a pretty consistent recipe I see on the internet.
Created a brine of 1 gal distilled water and 1/2 cup pickling salt.
Washed and de blossomed kirbys. Added spice, then brine then added kirbys and submerged with a plate with water bags on top.
I put them in my basement which stays at 72 degrees pretty much all the time.

It has been 6 days. They never produced bubbles or scum or clouds. In fact they look and smell almost exactly like they did when I put them in 6 days ago. Nothing smells bad or off. Brine tastes salty with no bad taste.
I havent tasted yet. I guess that would be the next step but wanted to check here and see if anyone has any ideas or comments.
thanks!

I

 

[Oldskewl]

I have always used this recipe. Want to keep the salt to water ratio in the 3.5% - 5% range. Which it looks like you did. Was your salt iodine free? I use fine sea salt.

 

[Soulshine2]

I use kosher salt. Just wait it out

 

[4Veazeys]

I have always used this recipe. Want to keep the salt to water ratio in the 3.5% - 5% range. Which it looks like you did. Was your salt iodine free? I use fine sea salt.

Thanks for the reply! Yes, I used pickling salt - iodine free, but not sea salt. I have an update! I went ahead a tried one and they are fantastic. They came out exactly as I had hoped. Taste just like pickles you would get out of a barrel at a Deli. I'm just confused why I didn't see any of the evidence of fermentation that I was expecting. I never saw any bubbles or scum floating. Kirbys were definitely fully submerged for 6 full days. I took out a glass of the brine and it is cloudy but other than that you wouldnt guess anything happened to turn these into pickles.
I have a follow up question though. Do I just refrigerate like they are or am I supposed to boil or do anything to this cloudy brine? If I give a jar of these to a friend do I pack them in this brine? Thanks!

 

[4Veazeys]

I use kosher salt. Just wait it out

Right answer! thanks!

 

[Lefou]

You can refrigerate and re-use the brine to prime your next batch if you feel like it. It more than likely has a live culture of lacto bacteria that will step right up and ferment your next batch. After the first exposure to air the fermentation takes off and it's best to keep your pickles chilled to prevent further dessication and keep the souring process in check.
We make spicy cabbage in this very same manner, except a few additions are made. We add a bit of powdered red cayenne, ginger, and honey for the bugs to feed on and the spice, sweet, and sour in the right combinations makes a great side for more bland foods. After about two-three days in 60F ambient temps some "fizzing" may be noticed and the acid "sour" content will increase without refrigeration.
What kimchi doesn't get eaten in our house will usually end up in boiled soup. Boiling the sour brine neutralizes the acidity and will make the brine sterile, but gives some very pungent and flavorful effects to a soup.

 

[Lefou]

Oh, and be proud of yourself to some degree for saving some cash.
If you're a DIY sort of person and go shopping, you'll notice some of the more exotic stuff on the shelf is expensive compared to the food you'll make at home. I frequent the Asian stores and the prices for pickled vegetables can border on the ridiculous.

 

[Yooper]

The cloudiness is the sign there for the pickles. Sometimes you see bubbles, sometimes not, but usually I only see alot of bubbles in heavier lacto concentrations, like with kimchee or gochujang when it goes longer.
Let's see a photo!

 

[4Veazeys]

The cloudiness is the sign there for the pickles. Sometimes you see bubbles, sometimes not, but usually I only see alot of bubbles in heavier lacto concentrations, like with kimchee or gochujang when it goes longer.
Let's see a photo!

The cloudiness is the sign there for the pickles. Sometimes you see bubbles, sometimes not, but usually I only see alot of bubbles in heavier lacto concentrations, like with kimchee or gochujang when it goes longer.
Let's see a photo!

I just transferred to jars to put in fridge and took a couple of photos. I only did about 2 dozen kirbys for this first batch but see many more coming. My local Asian grocery has kirbys on sale this week!

 

[4Veazeys]

I just transferred to jars to put in fridge and took a couple of photos. I only did about 2 dozen kirbys for this first batch but see many more coming. My local Asian grocery has kirbys on sale this week!
View attachment 628321 View attachment 628322

First, Thanks everyone for the replies and advice! Great source of information and confidence booster when I was in doubt. So glad I found this forum! Second, sorry about the size of these photos, didn't mean for them to be so large!

 

[Soulshine2]

Thanks for the reply! Yes, I used pickling salt - iodine free, but not sea salt. I have an update! I went ahead a tried one and they are fantastic. They came out exactly as I had hoped. Taste just like pickles you would get out of a barrel at a Deli. I'm just confused why I didn't see any of the evidence of fermentation that I was expecting. I never saw any bubbles or scum floating. Kirbys were definitely fully submerged for 6 full days. I took out a glass of the brine and it is cloudy but other than that you wouldnt guess anything happened to turn these into pickles.
I have a follow up question though. Do I just refrigerate like they are or am I supposed to boil or do anything to this cloudy brine? If I give a jar of these to a friend do I pack them in this brine? Thanks!

nope, just put them back in the brine ...they are fermented pickles and shoudnt need any refrigeration. I like my pickles cold so I do anyway. BTW,that pickle juice is good for your gut,just like homemade sauerkraut.

 

[Soulshine2]

I just transferred to jars to put in fridge and took a couple of photos. I only did about 2 dozen kirbys for this first batch but see many more coming. My local Asian grocery has kirbys on sale this week!
View attachment 628321 View attachment 628322

making my mouth water just looking at them

 

[Yooper]

nope, just put them back in the brine ...they are fermented pickles and shoudnt need any refrigeration. I like my pickles cold so I do anyway. BTW,that pickle juice is good for your gut,just like homemade sauerkraut.

If you do keep the brine cold, though, it's easy to use it as a starter for the next batch. It will jump start the new batch, and help outcompete any spoilage micro organisms. I know the salt does that as well, but it'll ferment faster and more dependably if you get some starter in there for the next batch.

 

[Lefou]

making my mouth water just looking at them

It sure does .... and by the way, if you're concerned about any mushiness of softness you can add a small dose of alum. The alum is basically a potassium salt to maintain crispness and can also minimize some of the cloudiness in the bottled brine.

 

[Lefou]

First, Thanks everyone for the replies and advice! Great source of information and confidence booster when I was in doubt. So glad I found this forum! Second, sorry about the size of these photos, didn't mean for them to be so large!

To alter the sizing of your photos simply open the pictures with Microsoft Paint if you have a Windows-based computer.
Resize them and save, then repost to the forum.

 

[Oldskewl]

First, Thanks everyone for the replies and advice! Great source of information and confidence booster when I was in doubt. So glad I found this forum! Second, sorry about the size of these photos, didn't mean for them to be so large!

Glad they turned out! Sometimes with pickles the only sign of fermentation is the cloudy brine. Fermented pickles are one of the things I really look forward to making in the summer. Just a warning, they continue to ferment slowly even in the fridge. I had a bumper crop last year due to all of the rain we had. I had many, many jars in the fridge. By the time I got to some of the jars(2-3 months) they were pretty mushy.

 

[4Veazeys]

Glad they turned out! Sometimes with pickles the only sign of fermentation is the cloudy brine. Fermented pickles are one of the things I really look forward to making in the summer. Just a warning, they continue to ferment slowly even in the fridge. I had a bumper crop last year due to all of the rain we had. I had many, many jars in the fridge. By the time I got to some of the jars(2-3 months) they were pretty mushy.

Thanks for that tip! I was so excited and happy with outcome I was about to go buy kirbys to start a bigger batch - but I don't want to make too much to consume! I might just plan on doing a couple dozen a month. Where I live kirbys seem to be available all year at the Asian supermarkets. I also think I will leave out the chili flakes and peppercorns next time and go with just dill, garlic, bay leaves and mustard seeds. I feel like the pepper flavor is getting stronger every day. Still delish though!

 

[Kwitty]

This is awesome! Never thought about making my own pickles! Anyone have a tried and true recipe? I'm looking for Kirbys today! Is there another cucumber that is good if I can't find kirbys? I literally k ow nothing on the subject so any info helps! This is so cool!

 

[4Veazeys]

This is awesome! Never thought about making my own pickles! Anyone have a tried and true recipe? I'm looking for Kirbys today! Is there another cucumber that is good if I can't find kirbys? I literally k ow nothing on the subject so any info helps! This is so cool!

There are much smarter and more experienced people here to help but since I am also a newb and this was my first batch I'll just share that the things I read were most important was not using chlorinated water, not using iodized salt, measuring exactly for brine, and starting off with everything very clean. Preparing and putting everything in the bucket was literally like 30 minutes - then checking once a day and on night six I was eating the most fantastic pickles. I use to make pickles with vinegar and those mixes and jars and boiling process - which took hours and hours of work and those pickles were literally garbage compared to these fermented pickles. I hope someone has good advice for you for other cucumber varieties. Good Luck! You got this!

 

[Kwitty]

There are much smarter and more experienced people here to help but since I am also a newb and this was my first batch I'll just share that the things I read were most important was not using chlorinated water, not using iodized salt, measuring exactly for brine, and starting off with everything very clean. Preparing and putting everything in the bucket was literally like 30 minutes - then checking once a day and on night six I was eating the most fantastic pickles. I use to make pickles with vinegar and those mixes and jars and boiling process - which took hours and hours of work and those pickles were literally garbage compared to these fermented pickles. I hope someone has good advice for you for other cucumber varieties. Good Luck! You got this!

Awesome! Thank you! But I will gladly take more info if anyone sees this posting. I begin my search for information now!

 

[eric19312]

I've been fermenting all sorts of things lately. Not drinking as much beer trying low carb life for weight reduction (although my brut IPA comes in at about 4 grams of carbs per pint ). Still fermented vegetables are supposed to also be very low carb foods and good for the gut. Here is what I've tried so far:
cucumbers (pickles)
sauerkraut including plain and a couple batches seasoned with tumeric and/or ginger
kimchi
mixed vegetables
spicy radish
hot peppers (fermented then blended to make hot sauce)
beet kvass

That was all winter/early spring produce from decent grocery store but can't wait to get started using produce from my local farmer market.

 

[Temptd2]

@eric19312 we've been doing the same things for the same reasons! On day 125 of keto eating (loving it, weight loss is great too, wanted to lose 12 and down about 14 now - KOTC has had to buy smaller pants twice already!) - we recently started making vinegar as well and the Centennial Blonde ale and Old Slug Porter vinegars are just killer good.

Currently have cauliflower, radishes, grape tomatoes, green beans (fave!), and pickle spears fermenting. Also fermenting out some apple pieces and some pineapple pieces/rinds which are destined to become vinegar also once they are done fermenting.

This stuff is all great for your guts! I was hospitalized two years ago with an acute attack of diverticulitis, ended up with surgery and 8 days in there with IV antibiotics. NOTHING was helping get my innards back in shape til I started eating home-fermented foods! Did the trick!

I always try to start with organic veggies when I ferment - just rinse to knock off any dirt/debris. They have good stuff on their skins to get the process up and running.

 

[eric19312]

@Temptd2 thanks for the vinegar idea and especially mentioning porter. I've got a keg of oatmeal stout that I can't get my wife to drink and is too many carbs for me. I'll try a small batch for sure.

As for the guts I've been trying the probiotic prebiotic combination and liking it. Using organic psyllium husk powder for the prebiotic and along with home fermented veg eating about a quarter cup of unsweetened greek yogurt (full fat or at least 2%) daily.

 

[Temptd2]

If you don’t already have it I highly recommend Sandor Katz’s book “The Art of Fermentation” - so much good info. He also has a lot of great YouTube videos.

I bet that stout will make great vinegar!

 

[eric19312]

If you don’t already have it I highly recommend Sandor Katz’s book “The Art of Fermentation” - so much good info. He also has a lot of great YouTube videos.

I bet that stout will make great vinegar!

Thanks for the suggestion...ordered the book and wasted half the morning watching YouTube....

 

[Oldskewl]

I have found this site to offer a lot of useful info for fermenting all kinds of things. Here is a nice chart on this page for salt % brine. First choice should be salt by weight as it will vary by the size of the crystals. Another key element is to use a bay leaf, grape leaf, oak leaf or horseradish leaf to help keep the pickles crisp.

https://www.makesauerkraut.com/fermented-pickles/

 

[4Veazeys]

Hello everyone! I am back again for more advice! I just finished my third batch of lacto fermented kirby's. The process works like clockwork and produces beautiful, delicious, and healthy pickles! In each batch I have been using varying amounts of fresh dill, fresh garlic, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, red chili flakes, and bay leaves.
Today I am asking for tips on other spice ingredients that have proven to be good for kirbys. I'd like to try swapping bay for grape leaves for example? Other types of chilis or peppers? Thanks for any tips!

 

[Oldskewl]

Personally I use horseradish leaves in the summer because I have them available in my garden. I use bay leaves in the winter. I don’t notice much difference in the flavor. It’s just to keep the pickles crisp. I use all kind of peppers, cayenne, jalapeño, habanero, banana. It’s really preference. I think habaneros are overwhelming. Use peppers in moderation. One or two goes a long way. I usually cut them in half and add them to the jar.

 

[Beer666]

Sliced onions in brine is a good one.

 

[4Veazeys]

All great ideas thanks! I havent added any peppers other than the red chili flakes. I think I might try some type of mild pepper and vidalia sweet onions in this next batch! Also may try horseradish leaves instead of bay! Will post the results!