Fermented Pickles: A Simple, Salty Treat
I love fermentation. It is a science experiment every time but also a relatively simple process to producing really tasty, gut-healthy dishes, while adding flavor to your preservation repertoire. Sometimes it’s even an exciting guessing game of will it explode or will it not, as I experienced with a batch of apple scrap vinegar just this week, but that’s a story for another time.
My cucumber seeds went in super late this year, I didn’t plant them until after I’d pulled the peas I’d grown on that trellis for the duration of spring. And then still, our baby ‘cucs’ were fairly shaded out by our sweet potato plants growing in the same bed. Thus, our plants were just getting started when the cooler weather swept in early this year and then squash beetles absolutely decimated the vines. My dreams of homegrown pickled cucumbers were feeling somewhat threatened until I kept hearing tell of fermented pickles…
Hmm, I said to myself, now whatever could this be. I’ve tried my hand at fermenting beer, and I’ve made vinegar, but the only fermented veggies I’ve done is sauerkraut.
A little research brought me to the conclusion that unlike pickled cucumbers, in recipes for fermented cucumbers the brine is made mostly of water instead of vinegar. In both cases acid is used to preserve the food but in pickling, the brine poured over the vegetables is acid based — vinegar usually. Whereas with fermentation, naturally occurring bacteria eat the sugars and carbs present in a vegetable, transforming the water-based brine with the acidic biproduct of their digestion — lactic acid in many cases.
Fermented vegetables sit for several days while this process takes place then need to be stored in a cool place (a refrigerator or root cellar) while pickled vegetables, once processed in a water bath canner, can be stored at room temperature.
Without the need for water bath canning, fermented vegetables can be an easier process for preservation in smaller quantities. Plus, the fermentation process produces probiotics and enzymes which can be beneficial to your health and digestion.
Gathering my small harvest of cucumbers, I got to work slicing the blossom end off and combining ingredients for my brine. I needed something high in tannins to keep the veggies crunchy and remembered the wild grape vine I’d seen growing under our evergreen tree in the backyard (isn’t it wonderful how these things work out?). I plucked a leaf from that plant in the chilly darkness under a half moon and snuck back inside to finish my recipe without waking the boys.
Cucumbers, grape leaves, and brine poured into the jars, a pebble weight on top and a coffee filter secured with a rubber band to cover the jar opening while the vegetables processed. Those cucumbers sat in a shady spot on our counter for 5 days at which point I was allowed to sample these divine delicacies.
Sour and tangy, magnificently crisp — perfect for a sandwich. What wasn’t eaten immediately was placed in the refrigerator. I recommend and will be making these again.
A big thanks to Fermented Food Laboratory for the recipe.
