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Fermented Dill Pickles

Crunchy, tangy, and full of probiotics — these naturally fermented dill pickles are worlds apart from the vinegar-heavy jars at the store. All you need is fresh cucumbers, clean water, salt, and a little patience.
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Equipment

Ingredients
  

Ingredients (for 1 quart jar)

  • 2 cups filtered, non-chlorinated water
  • 4-6  small pickling cucumbers (3–4 inches, firm)
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
  • 1-2  fresh dill heads or 1 teaspoon dill seed
  • A clean, pure salt with no additives (such as Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or Redmond Real Salt)
  • 1/2 tsp  black peppercorns (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp  mustard seeds (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
  • 1-2 bay leaf (optional, for crispness)
  • 1 grape, oak, or horseradish leaf (optional, tannins for crunch)

Instructions
 

  • Make the Brine
    For a 2% brine:
    Use 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt per 1 cup water, or
    Use ¾ teaspoon Redmond Real Salt per 1 cup water.
    Since this recipe uses 2 cups water, that’s:
    2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal, or
    1 ½ teaspoons Redmond Real Salt.
    Dissolve the salt fully in the filtered water.
    Prepare Cucumbers
    Wash well and trim 1/16” off the blossom ends (this helps prevent mushiness).
    Pack the Jar
    Place garlic, dill, and any spices (peppercorns, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, bay leaf) at the bottom of a clean quart jar. Pack cucumbers snugly but don’t force them in too tightly.
    Add Brine
    Pour brine over cucumbers until fully submerged, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.
    Weigh & Seal
    Keep cucumbers under the brine with a fermentation weight, cabbage leaf, or a small clean jar.
    Seal with a fermenting lid such as a pickle pipe or an airlock (best for hands-off fermenting), or cover with a clean cloth secured with a rubber band (traditional method, but check more often to be sure everything stays submerged).
    Ferment
    Store at room temperature (65–72°F is ideal) for 5–10 days. Start tasting after day 3. They’re ready when tangy and crisp.
    Fermentation speed depends on temperature — warmer kitchens will finish faster, while cooler spaces may take longer.
    Store
    Once fermented to your liking, transfer to the refrigerator. Pickles will keep for several months chilled.
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