Fermented Pickles Recipe

fermented dill_pickles

I want to set these up tonight!  Also, start the wine in the kit!!!  I ordered plastics stoppers for the 2 plastic carboys that I have.  I don't need either of these carboys for the primary fermentation, but in case I need them later...  I ordered them from Midwest Supplies.



Update:

Fermented pickles:

I followed the fermented pickle recipe linked to above.  I used about 9 lbs of cucumbers (I found the smallest and nicest that I had brought back from PA last trip) and essentially doubled the recipe.  I washed the smaller of the new fermentation pots that I got last week (I think its about 2-3 gallon size) and placed the cucumbers inside.   I picked all of the dill that I had remaining in the raised bed here in SS and cut it up in pieces that would fit in the crock.  I split the dill up into 3 batches and put the first batch in the base of the crock before adding any cucs, then added the pickling spices.   Then I added 4 lbs of cucs, then another batch of the dill, then 8 cups of the water/salt/vinegar solution.  I then added 5 lbs of cucs,  more pickling spices and then put the remaining dill on top, then added another 10 cups of the water/salt/vinegar solution (I just used the 8 C recipe but added 2 C water and a couple tablespoons of salt - no additional vinegar).   I placed an expanding stainless steel vegetable colander inside a gallon size freezer ziplock bag along with about 2 pints of water.   I sealed the zip and carefully placed the bag on top of the cucs in the crock.  Again, carefully, I opened the expandable colander inside the bag to make sure that all of the cucs were under the surface of the brine solution.

The recipe says that at 70F the fermentation should take 3-4 weeks.  I am supposed to check it a couple times a week to skim off any scum that rises to the surface.

The recipe above also describes how to can the pickles after fermentation is complete.   The recipe mentions that the pickles can stay in the fermentor for 4-6 MONTHS without spoilage, so no rush to can them.  Other recipes indicate the longer in the fermenter the more sour they become.

More dill pickles canned:

Using the Mrs Wages quick process dill mix, I canned another 14 pints of dill pickles.  I tasted the pickles from last night and found that some of the cucs skins were tough, so I peeled (and de-seeded) many of the larger cucs when canning these pickles.