Lacto-fermented Dill Pickles
Of all the fermented foods recipes, this has to be the easiest one! If you are new to fermenting your own foods, start with pickles. It’s as simple as cleaning a jar, adding spices, cucumbers, salted water, a lid, done. The pickles come out perfect, and as a fun surprise, they’re still bubbling when you first open the jar. Plus this is one pickle brine that you want to drink!
There are a tremendous amount of benefits for eating foods that have gone through the process of lacto-fermentation. Most likely, there are many more benefits for us yet to discover. For now, we know those benefits that make the top of the list are;
- naturally grown various strains of probiotics
- prebiotics to support healthy gut flora growth
- enzymes that assist you in breaking down food to make it more digestible
- readily accessible vitamins like B and C
- immune system improvement and support
- bowel movement improvement
Lacto-fermented foods simply can’t be praised enough! I believe, of all the health foods that you could add into your current diet, lacto-fermented foods needs to be at the top of the list. Or better yet, first on the list.
These pickles are the perfect snack for the alkaline diet.
Here’s the delicious pickle recipe…
Lacto-fermented Dill Pickles Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1L Glass Jar with Canning Ring & Lid
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 8 Small Cucumbers
- 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Dill
- 1t Mustard Seed
- 1t Black Peppercorns
- 1T Sea Salt
- 1c Filtered Water
Directions:
Start with a clean 1L glass jar with ring and lid. If you want, boil the jar to clean and sterilize, air dry and let the jar cool. Simmer the lid and ring if you choose, they can be added in the beginning of water boiling, then removed before the water starts to boil; though this step is not necessary when using a new ring and lid. I usually skip the boiling, unless it is an older jar.
In a separate cup, add salt to water and stir to dissolve, set aside.
Place in bottom of glass jar: garlic, dill, seeds, and peppercorns. Put cucumbers in jar, packing in tightly so that they do not move. Pour salted water over cucumbers, adding more filtered water if needed to cover ends of cucumber. Leave approximately 1/2 inch of space between surface of water and top of jar. Put the lid on the jar, sealing tightly.
Place this in a plastic bowl or bin that can fit onto the pantry shelf. The bin catches any excess water that may bubble out during fermentation. Store in the pantry for 4-5 days before eating. Store any remaining pickles in the jar in your refrigerator. Don’t forget to drink the juice! The juice can also be used for making dips and salad dressings!
Here’s a simple and informative YouTube video on how the steps to making pickles, thank you Diana Lehua. My only suggestion for tweaking this recipes is to add all spices and dill to the jar first then cucumbers and water on top. This makes it easier to keep all ingredients below the water line, and clean-up easier as well.
Look at all those bubbles!!!
Happy Snacking!
Jessie