Fermented Dill Pickles

The recipe below is for one 1-quart jar of about 8 pickles. Scale the recipe to make as many jars as you need.

Prep time: PT30M

Total time: PT14430M

Rating

5 stars (3 reviews)

fermented dill pickles, fermented pickles, full-sour pickles, half-sour pickles

Wash cucumbers but don't brush them off. There are lactic acid bacteria on the surface that are needed to start fermentation.
Cut off about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) off the blossom ends of cucumbers. Molds and tissue softening enzymes are known to reside in the cucumber blossom area.
Prepare 2 1/4 cups of 3.5% salt brine by whisking 1 Tbsp (18 grams) with water until the salt is dissolved.
Place half of the seasonings at the bottom of a clean 1-quart jar. Add the cucumbers. Arrange the top cucumber across the jar to prevent them from floating. Add the rest of the seasonings on top.
Pour in the brine leaving about 1/2" of headspace while making sure the cucumbers are covered with the liquid.
Attach the fermentation lid with an airlock filled with the leftover brine. Make sure that the bottom tip of the airlock stays slightly above the liquid. (see note 1)
Ferment at 64F - 72F (18C - 22C). You should see bubbles going up after about 16-24 hours when fermenting at around 68F. Longer if fermenting at lower temperatures and a bit sooner if fermenting at higher temperatures.
Ferment for 3-4 days for half-sour pickles and 8-10 days for full-sour pickles.
Taste the pickles. If you are happy with the results, place them in the fridge which will stop further fermentation. (see notes 2 and 3)

Rebecca on 2025-03-26 (5 stars):
Hi there! For pickles and other veggies like cauliflower, are you supposed to weigh the veggies along with the water and then multiply that total by .035 to make the brine? Or do you only weigh the water regardless of the amount of veggies you have? I’ve been researching trying to find this out but it seems people have very mixed opinions on this. Just wondering if both are safe and will still taste good. Thanks!
Norman Dale on 2024-05-05 (5 stars):
Thank you for the recipe. When you age the pickles for 8 to 10 days, what room temperature have you found best. I have made a similar recipe in the past but they didn't get full sour. I wondered if the room was too cool and if maybe I should but them in the oven with light on which creates surroundings at about 78F.
Steve on 2023-08-09 (5 stars):
Hi Victor, I tasted my first result making pickles this way. I made the canning pickles recipe last year and currently have a batch fermenting. I was surprised at the different taste, colour and texture of the 3.5% pickles. I think I prefer the canning pickles. They have a more sour flavour, a deeper colour and overall match my memories of grandma's pickles. Don't get me wrong, the result for the 3.5% pickles was very tasty. Just not what I expected.