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Enriching the Soil of Your Life

Lacto-Fermented Pickles Like I Had As A Girl, No Canning

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Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, cucumbers in quart jars

Pickles I had as a girl right from the brine barrel in the hardware can still be had today!

UPDATE: Well, EVEN ON DAY 4, these pickles are crisp and even better than a wonderful Bubbies pickle! Slices ferment faster than whole pickles. Test them. ONCE TO YOUR LIKING, REFRIGERATE THEM IMMEDIATELY. THAT STOPS THE FERMENTATION.

“Lacto-fermentation is the process that produces traditional dill pickles, kimchi, and real sauerkraut. It takes nothing more than salt, vegetables and water – no canning, no fancy equipment. This simple process works because bacteria that could be harmful to us can’t tolerate much salt, but there are good bacteria that can. Think of the this process as the ‘bad guys vs. the good guys’. Lacto-fermentation wipes out the bad guys in its first stage, then lets the good guys get to work during stage two.

“The good guys on the salt-tolerant team are called Lactobacillus. Several different species within this genus are used to produce fermented foods.

“The benefits of eating food with live Lactobacillus bacteria include a healthier digestive system and speedy recovery from yeast infections. They are also supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties and be useful in preventing certain kinds of cancer.”    

I started making lacto-fermented foods after we pinned down the reason we had so many food allergies and yeast (candida) issues. Exposure to black mold (Stachybotris) in our home years before had destroyed gut linings (leaky gut) and messed with the normal digestion and absorption process in some of us.

This recipe is as basic as it comes. These pickles are crisp, crunchy, and refreshing with just the right amount of tang! You can make this with only 3 ingredients OR add garlic and spices if you wish.

 Ingredients for Lacto-fermented Pickles:

  • Individual glass quart jars, a 1-gallon glass jar, or ceramic crock (with lids)
  • Brine: For every 2 c water, mix in 1 Tbsp sea salt. With an abundance of cucumbers multiply that as many times as needed to cover all the cucumbers.
  • Cucumbers (small to medium are perfect, but if they large, cut them into spears)
  • A handful of fresh, clean grape leaves, optional (grape, oak, cherry, raspberry, & blackberry leaves  supply tannins to keep the pickles crunchy)

Optional Additions to make Old-Fashioned Dill Pickles: PER QUART

  • 2-3 medium cloves of garlic, peeled, & roughly chopped (to taste)
  • 1 tsp whole dill seed (I use 2 sprigs of green seed heads from garden)
  • 1/2 tsp whole coriander seed (I used ground)
  • 1/4  tsp whole mustard seed
  • 1/4 tsp whole peppercorns (I used tellicherry peppercorns)
  • 1/4 tsp fennel seed (optional~ I didn’t have any on hand)
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (I used small pieces of dehydrated hot pepper from last summer)

Directions:

1. Wash.

Slice in wedges for large cukes or leave whole if small to medium.

Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, pickle slices

2. Pack jars  

For cutting purposes your pickles need to be at the very least 1″ below the brine. I will discuss this more later.

Slice into spears…

Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, packed jars with pickle spears

or leave whole…

Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, whole pickles in jars

3. Mix brine in a measuring cup

(For every 2 c water, mix in 1 Tbsp sea salt – See brine recipe above).

Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, measuring sea salt

4. Stir well before pouring over pickles

You want your cucumbers (and leaves) to be completely submerged in the brine at all times.

If they are exposed to the air, they could suffer, so you may need to weigh them down with a sanitized rock, a glass weight, or small jar that fits down into the opening of your bigger jar.

5. Leave 1″ of head space

I washed my rocks in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar…the same non-toxic solution I use for my homemade bleach alternative. Rinse well before using.

[NOTE: My rocks (sandstone/limestone from Lake Michigan) started to very slowly breakdown in the acid environment, so use granite or another non-porous rock.]

I used the Old-Fashioned Dill Pickle recipe above. We made whole baby dills with the short 3-5 inchers and spears with the full sized 8 inchers..

Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, spices for pickles

Experiment In Crunch

As an experiment, I used 2 leaves from the grape vine per jar (help to submerge the spears).

I have read that leaves with high tannin levels will keep pickles crunchy, but I know others that have never used them and they were just great.

Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, dill pickles held under liquid with rocks

Cover your jar with its lid.

You may see a film of thin white scum growing on the surface of the water;  just skim it off as often as you can, but don’t worry if you can’t get it all. This is “kahm yeast”; it won’t harm you, but it can affect the flavor of your pickles if you don’t keep up with it.

Lacto-Fermentation and Timing

Lacto-fermentation happens when the starches and sugars in the cukes convert to lactic acid by a friendly lactic-acid producing bacteria.

Your pickles will be ready after 5-8 days on the kitchen counter in the summer, depending on the warmth of your home.

On day 4 do a taste test of your pickles. They’re ready when they taste done to you! Once they taste done, transfer the jar into the fridge to slow fermentation. Once fermented and in the refrigerator, you can remove the grape leaves and you don’t need to worry about the pickles being completely submerged.

Don’t throw out the brine once your pickles are finished. It is healthful, too, being full of good bacteria and beneficial for your digestion! Since it’s salty and full of minerals, it would be especially good after a hot, sweaty day of work outside.

Serve one pickle or a slice with lunch and dinner every day.

These could last months in your fridge, but if you like your dill pickles like we do, they will be all gone long before that.

Good health and Bon Appétit!

“The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.” ~Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions pg 89

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Lacto-Fermented Pickles, No Canning, canning jars with lacto-fermented pickles

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Thanks for reading!

Jacqueline
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Comments

  1. Hi Jacqui!

    Do you know where I could find/purchase grape (or any of the others for that matter) leaves if I don’t have grape vines or trees? Thanks for your help.

    • Hi, Karen! Good to hear from you!!
      You might find them at an ethnic store that has Greek foods, but way easier would be to call Cathy G! I’ll bet they have some of these (mentioned in the post) kind of leaves or know where to get some easily and free 🙂 I wish you lived closer so I could give you some!

  2. Hi there 🙂 Yes, we are back and will have to catch up soon! Thank you for the warm welcome comments left on the blog! I tried this recipe of yours last year and with excellent results!!! Thank you for sharing this. The happy part is that we have a grapevine so the leaves were on our patio 🙂 The only thing I did different was use a FIDO jar instead of weighing down with rocks in canning jar. DELICIOUS 🙂 and gone quicker than I had hoped for…

      • I have read that horseradish leaves are as good, but mine are just beginning to sprout again.

        As for jars, any old jar (if it is large enough) will do, and you can order corks to fit the mouth of the jar. Drill in the centre and fit a bubbler (air trap-wine variety). I am using old 2.6 kilo jars from chutneys and ketchup bought years ago. I tended to keep the empty jars (for storing rice/beans) so had a few, even some from factory made sauerkraut (a good size). For weights, I use marbles in nylon mesh bags.

        • Thanks for that cool information, Snoekie!! I love an adventure and may try that with 1 jar to see how it works!

  3. Do I have to refrigerate them? What if I wanted to make more jars than would fit into my fridge? My grandmother used to make what she called “green ketchup”. I don’t remember all that was in it, but I think there were green tomatoes, cabbage, and maybe peppers. She just put salt water in the jars, tightened down the lids SLIGHTLY, sat the jars in a plastic wash pan, and put that into a dark closet. The ‘juice’ would bubble out of the jars into the pan. After a week or so, she would wipe down the jars, tighten the lids, and then store them on a shelf. Could pickles be stored on a shelf once properly fermented? What about using yogurt whey to add a little more protection?

    • Oh, Candi!! I am so glad you commented! I have always wanted to find someone who knew how to do that!!!! Honestly, it would be a huge blessing to be able to keep pickles, etc. without refrigeration and to be able to teach those of us who want to learn! I have used whey from yogurt (added it) and had success. I know that kahm yeast will form and that it isn’t harmful so we can just remove it and it still keeps, but as to storing it on a shelf~ well, is your grandma still alive to ask her? I DO refrigerate my pickles.
      If you have a way of finding out, please let me/us know!! It would be a huge blessing, I’m sure!! Thank you so much 🙂
      God bless your day and weekend!

      • Sad to say, she passed away 3 years ago at the wonderful age of 98! I know when Mom was growing up, they did pickles out in the cellar house in a huge stone crock. Mom said that when they were outside playing, they would just wipe the white foam aside, stick in a dirty hand, pull out a pickle and get right back to cowboys and Indians! I’m going to have to do some more research, because I know there HAS to be a way of doing it. 🙂

        • That is great! There is obviously a great deal of good bacteria to overwhelm a dirty hand! and what great gut health that would provide our family! I will be anxiously awaiting to see what you find out :)!! You are so kind to look into it ~
          Thank you!

      • Oooooo, Jacqueline! Look what I found! This is a wonderful, no-nonsense article on lacto-fermentation that sounds so doable! I do not have the rubber gasket/wire bail jars, but I could get them. Since we no longer have a basement, I’ll have to be creative in finding a storage area that stays ‘cool and dark’, maybe a closet in the spare room? But this sounds so much like Grandma. I’m sure she never even heard the term ‘lacto-fermentation’, it was just how you did sauerkraut and pickles in her day.

        http://www.mofga.org/Publications/MaineOrganicFarmerGardener/Fall2009/Fermenting/tabid/1259/Default.aspx

      • I know that my grandparents exclusively made this type of pickles and just stored them in their cool basement. We would receive them as gifts often. I’ve made a few times but can’t seem to keep my cans sealed not being able to find the type of jars with the glass lid and rubber ring that they used. There was no refrigeration required for my grandparents but so far I have been too chicken to try this as my jars come unsealed after about the 3rd day when the fermenting pops the lid. Would love advice.

  4. Jacqueline, I cannot thank you enough for posting this. My mother made these every summer and simply called them “grape leaf pickles.” She passed away nearly 20 years ago and did not leave a written recipe. Now my daughters and I can make this together! This is a blessing–thank you again.

  5. I just came across your blog and am enjoying it so much.

    This summer I have done my first fermenting using the FIDO jars. The question that I have is does the liquid in your pickles get cloudy? We have eaten one jar of picles and the other jars in the refrigerator look cloudy. Just wondering if this is normal. Today started a couple jars of sliced dills to put on sandwiches. Want to try fermenting some other vegetables from the garden.

    • Cheryl,
      I have not noticed them getting cloudy. Did you do the fermenting that got cloudy in the FIDO jars? Just curious because I am thinking about buying a FIDO jar, but have no experience with them. Thanks 🙂

      • Yes, all of the fermenting has been done in the FIDO jars and they have all turned out cloudy. I also had found a jar at a local thrift store that had the rubber ring g and wire closing and that one also got cloudy. I am using dill from the garden also. My brine has been 3Tsalt per quart of water. I have been wondering if the fact that we have a water softener might make a difference. They are cloudy after a couple of days on the counter. I do take the pickles and put them into quart jars when they are ready to be put into the refrigerator so the jars can be used again.

        • My brine is cloudy from the start. I don’t think it a problem; probably just the minerals in the Himalayan salt suspended in the water.

          One thing I did to “jump-start” the fermentation process was add a spoonful of juice from my sauerkraut. I believe you could use some from Bubbie’s sauerkraut or pickles as well.

          I really enjoy your Blog, Jacqueline. Thank you for making something beautiful to share.

          Buzz

          • Aww… thank you so much, Buzz! That is a blessing to me today (I needed it)! I think your assessment of the minerals in the salt is correct and jump starting is perfect. We do it with kombucha on every batch using a cup or so of the last batch. We can also use whey if on hand. Would love a great pickle right now 🙂
            Blessings on your weekend!

  6. Love, love this post! I’ve never fermented cucumbers, but I did make lacto-fermented banana pepper rings last year, and they were the best I’d ever eaten. One thing I really liked about them was they were not mushy at all like the usual home-canned peppers. Sadly, our cucumbers were minimal this year, but I’m looking forward to fermenting some next year. Btw, I’m fermenting sauerkraut in a couple of Fido jars as I type and will post about that soon. Fido jars are great for longer ferments like the 30-day sauerkraut but not necessary for pickles by any means. (They are cool jars, though.) 😉

    Thanks for stopping by my neglected blog and leaving your sweet comments – I’ve been out of the loop with company visiting from afar, etc.

  7. Hi everyone, came across this lovely post doing some research. 🙂

    I just wanted to add some insight, I played around a little bit with lacto fermenting last year making sauerkraut and pickled beets, this year, I’m making all kinds of things for winter. From what I’ve noticed, and looked into, the cloudiness, (sometimes even looking like a white-ish sediment settling in the bring) is quite normal, and actually is an indicator that you’ve got the right bacteria flourishing. So I was nervouse when I first saw it, but many other people say its a good thing. So long as there isn’t obvious mold in there with it, of course. 🙂

    Also, the type of water used can be important in some cases, and may change the appearance or color of the bring or veggies. The main thing to be sure of is that you don’t use a municipal tap water source if it contains chlorine, flouride, and other chemical additives because it can harm or interfere with the bacteria in the fermentation process. Your best bet would be spring water, quality filtered water, ect.

    I made a delicious jar of pickles with little pickling cukes, but I have a ton of large slicing cucumbers that I have been wondering if I can use sliced… I’ll be using this recipe for reference!

    • I am very glad you shared that information here, Xeque! I also had a whitish sediment, but the pickles were absolutely the BEST, so I didn’t worry about it. so good to know that the proper bacteria was flourishing. I wish the jar was bottomless…so yummy! I would love to know how the large slicing cukes turn out! Thanks, again, and blessings to you!

    • I know this is really late but I ferment my slicers also. We have had such a large amount of rain this year that our cucumbers went crazy! I have tried every kind of salad with them till we just can’t eat anymore. I decided to try to ferment them and they turned out wonder. I just use 1Tblsp pickling salt for every 2 cups of water and what ever spices you like. I use bay leaf, mustard seeds, pepper, garlic, fennel and dill seed. I also add 1/8 teaspoon of black tea leaves for every quart jar. We have no access to grape leaves or oak leaves. The tea seems to do the job keeping the pickles crisp. We had tons of dill but it has gone to seed now. We love fermented pickles. I also make sauerkraut. Last year my husband shredded 70 pounds of cabbage and I worked it and we had excellent sauerkraut. Now I did process my kraut when it was done fermenting so I lost the benefits. If there is a way to store these without processing, that will be a huge benefit for me! Please, please let me know how to store these without processing?

      • Roxana, I’m so glad they turned out so well! I love all the things you’ve added, too. I will try the fennel for sure. One of my favorite spices.
        I always store our fermented pickles in the second fridge (after they ferment, b/c refrigeration stops the fermentation process) and we eat them during the winter and early spring. I wish I knew how to keep them w/o refrigeration! If I ever find out, I will certainly post on it!
        Blessings on your productive home 😀

  8. I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer living in Ukraine. I really want to preserve all the fresh summer vegetables using lacto-fermentation. I have questions: can I air lock lacto-fermented foods? If so, right away or after a couple of days? I want to avoid traditional canning if possible but I also want to store these foods for many months without spillage.

    • Hello, Lacey 🙂 I have had the same questions. After talking to the kind lady at Pickl-It jars, I think I may buy one. They have an airlock system that uses a bubbler to let CO2 escape while keeping 02 out. The only problem is that the product still need to be refrigerated once finished. I think we just need a goodroot cellar to keep things chilled in! Good luck, friend 🙂 Blessings!

  9. I made some lacto fermented salsa this year.
    I noticed something I would like to pass on – it may be nothing.
    I have a kefir and I used the whey for the first bunch — the stuff behaved – it did not swell up really bad in less than 6 hours and over flow the jars when I opened them. I cannot say the same for the salsa that I did not add the whey too. In that case it was very vigorous, bubbling almost like I was boiling it. So I conclude – perhpas that the kefir whey microbes got there first and did out crowd the natural stuff from my garden. On the other hand my microbes from my garden once they get started is way on more active than the kefir whey.

    Now I have a question: Since this salsa will only last 2 to 3 months in my refrig – do you think I can can my salsa and this winter get it out and put the kefir whey in it – – not sure if I should even bother to let it ferment for a few hours?

    And another question: I am going to lacto ferment some pimentos — do I also put in garlic and onions or just the peppers only?

    • Hello, Benedetta,
      Thank you for your question. I don’t have experience in using kefir whey to aid in fermenting, so you have more experience in it than I do at this point. Let me know what you find out. It is interesting that the batch you didn’t use the whey on acted more vigorously! You could can it and then add in kefir whey, but you may have already lost much of the bio-availability but having canned it. I’d love to know what you find out if you try it 🙂 Lord bless your efforts!

    • Yes, but not so terribly tight that pressure builds up and can’t escape, Susan. Bubbles are normal…Hoping you have a successful batch! I do have a giveaway going right now for a Primal Kitchen Boss Pickler. I’d love you to enter. It makes keeping out O2 so much easier. also, I’m finding better success keeping things in the dark a few days to help the LABS: https://deeprootsathome.com/making-basic-kimchi/ (5 essential elements for fermenting)
      Blessings!

  11. I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer living in Ukraine. I really want to preserve all the fresh summer vegetables using lacto-fermentation. I have questions: can I air lock lacto-fermented foods? If so, right away or after a couple of days? I want to avoid traditional canning if possible but I also want to store these foods for many months without spillage.

    • Hello,
      I wish I could tell you that the lacto-fermented foods will keep when sealed without refrigeration. BUT they do need to be refrigerated or kept in a cellar environment (cool temps and dark). It certainly will extend their goodness, but they will not keep for long periods without pasteurization. This site may be very helpful, and I will pray that the Lord will show you what you need to know as you seek Him! https://www.foodpreservationmethods.com/sauerkraut-kimchi-pickles-relishes/sauerkraut/fermentation
      Blessings and I am praying for your efforts in Ukraine. I love the people!

  12. Did I miss something or did your lactofermented cucumbers not have whey? I thought lacto refers to the use of whey which increases the probiotic content.
    Thanks/blessings,
    Lisa

  13. After the ferment for a week, does the lactofermentation stop when they get put in the fridge? I heard of someone who lactofermented something and the jar exploded when they took it out of the cabinet after a month…

    • Yes, it stops fermenting after refrigeration. Yes, it will possibly explode if you leave it out and if the container doesn’t have a way to leak the pressure. oops!

  14. Hello,
    I was wondering if I followed a fermenting pickle recipe and by the the fifth day it hasn’t even started to ferment no bubbles, not even cloudy brine and my kitchen is pretty cool. did I do something wrong and should I throw them away or should I give them more time because the cucumbers were left whole? a little worried lol
    thanks,
    gail
    biblette59@msn.com

  15. Hi Jacqueline! I just took a series of fermentation classes this spring and have been so excited about all the positive benefits we have seen in our family. Our 11 year old daughter has gluten, soy, and coconut allergies. She was used to having regular tummy aches. Once we started making water kefir, milk kefir (we have Jersey cows), Kombucha, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods – we realized that we have rarely heard her complain of tummy aches.

    I was so excited to find your blog & recipe. We LOVE pickles. This was our first time making our own. They are by far the best pickles we have ever had! And it was SO easy to do. My 3 daughters (11, 8 & 6 ) helped. Each had a job. The 8 year old cut up the cucumbers and put them in the jars, the 11 year old got the garlic ready & helped with the brine, and the 6 year old helped measure and pour the spices and went out to the grapevine to pick the leaves for each jar. Our favorite for flavor was the slices. They soaked up so much amazing yumminess from the spices. We’re letting the spears sit longer to let them get more flavorful. It was fun to watch the daily changes in the jars and we all commented on how beautiful they looked. We picked up another 5lbs. of pickling cucumbers at the farmers market this week and are looking forward to making another batch. Thanks so much for sharing this!

    • That is exciting! Especially that you included the children 😀 What wonderful things they are learning, Jen. I’m so glad you shared your experience of doing this as a family! Thank you friend!

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