These Lacto Fermented Cucumbers are a delicious and probiotic rich way of making naturally fermented pickles. Made with just cucumbers, salt, and water, you can adjust to your own taste preferences with a variety of seasoning and flavoring agents.
1 quart sized glass jar with lid thoroughly washed with hot water
fermentation weight or tiny bowl
Ingredients
1poundpickling cucumberssmall, firm cucumbers of almost any variety work here
½-1tablespoonpickling spicemix of mustard, coriander, dill seeds, peppercorns, all spice, cloves...
1teaspoondried dill1 tablespoon fresh chopped or 2-3 whole sprigs (optional)
2bay leavesgrape leaves or oak leaves
1-3garlic clovessliced (optional)
2cupsfiltered water
3-4teaspoonssea saltfor brine of about 3.5 - 4.5% salinity
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Instructions
Start by washing out your glass jar and stirring tools with hot water.
Wash the cucumbers. You can leave them whole, or cut into spears or slices. Either way be sure to cut of the blossom end (small brown-black circle) from the bottom of each cucumber. It contains the enzyme pectinase that can make your cucumbers soften instead of staying nice and crisp.
1 pound pickling cucumbers
Pack the cucumbers tightly into the jar while layering with the pickling spices, dill, bay leaves, and garlic.
Stir together the water and sea salt until the salt is mostly dissolved. Pour the salt water brine over the cucumbers all the way to the threaded neck. You may not need all of it.
2 cups filtered water, 3-4 teaspoons sea salt
If the cucumbers are floating up over the brine, place a fermentation weight or small bowl on top to keep them submerged.
Close the jar tightly and place on a rimmed plate or bowl on your shelf or counter for 3-5 days. I like to open the jar daily to let from bubbles escape. Some brine may bubble over. You can pour it back in or drink it.
The brine will go from clear, to bubbly to cloudy. Once the fermented cucumbers have reached your desired sour flavor, move them to the fridge. There they can last several months to a year unopened. Once opened, I prefer to use up the lacto fermented pickles within 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition values are estimated with the assumption that none of the spice are consumed, and no more than 1 teaspoon of salt gets absorbed by the pickles
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Lacto Fermented Cucumber Pickles
Serving Size
1 ounce
Amount per Serving
Calories
3
% Daily Value*
Fat
0.05
g
0
%
Saturated Fat
0.004
g
0
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.001
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.001
g
Sodium
147
mg
6
%
Potassium
39
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
1
g
0
%
Fiber
0.2
g
1
%
Sugar
0.4
g
0
%
Protein
0.2
g
0
%
Vitamin A
20
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
5
mg
1
%
Iron
0.1
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.