Though fermented pickles are ready to eat immediately after fermenting, most people can them.
Pickles made in a stone crock are called "brined pickles" or "fermented pickles." You can make brined pickles by soaking cucumbers in salt-water brine. The brine helps the lactic acid bacteria that appears naturally on the surface of the pickles convert the sugars in the cucumber into lactic acid. Unlike fresh-pack pickles, which get their sourness from vinegar, brined pickles get their sourness from lactic acid. Fermented pickles, like sauerkraut, can be stored for longer periods than their fresh counterparts-- up to 4 to 6 months, or longer if canned.
Instructions
1. Wash the cucumbers in cool water, using the brush to scrub them clean. Cut about 1/16 inch off the blossom end. Leave about 1/4 inch of the stem attached.
2. Wash the crock, the plate and the jug, and sterilize them using boiling water. Put the crock where it will sit for the next few weeks. Choose a clean place that is between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Put half the dill and half the spices in the bottom of the crock. Add the cucumbers and the remaining dill and spices.
4. Dissolve the salt and vinegar in the water in a separate bowl. Pour it over the cucumbers in the crock.
5. Place the plate upside down on top of the cucumbers. Fill the jug with water and set it on top of the plate to hold the plate under water. Check to make sure the pickles are all 1 to 2 inches under the brine.
6. Check the container several times a week. Remove surface scum or mold as soon as it forms. Remove, rinse, dry, and replace the plate and jug if they develop scum or mold.
7. Remove the pickles when they are done. Taste one to check them. If you fermented them at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, they will be done in roughly 3 to 4 weeks. At 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, the process will take 5 to 6 weeks.
8. Pour the brine into the pot. Slowly bring it to a boil. Simmer it for 5 minutes. Pour it through a coffee filter set inside a strainer to reduce the cloudiness.
9. Pack the pickles into canning jars. Add the brine. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace. Close the jars using the lids and rings. Process the jars using the low-temperature pasteurization treatment.
Tags: brined pickles, degrees Fahrenheit, lactic acid, about inch, jars using, scum mold, sourness from
