FERMENTED PICKLES - The Best Old Fashioned Dill Pickle Recipe! (No Rambling)

hi there today's video is on how to make fermented dill pickles the key words to this recipe are delicious crunchy and fermented as in lacto-fermented so they're a probiotic pickle if you're new to fermenting this is a beginner friendly recipe no special equipment is needed only the willingness to try let's make some pickles [Music] there's no vinegar brine used in this fermentation pickle recipe instead a saltwater brine is used which is what makes this a lacto-fermented pickle and not a vinegar pickle to learn the difference between vinegar pickling and fermentation pickling you can check out this video here that I made explaining the difference between the two however for this video we're making lacto-fermented pickles that will develop probiotics and taste oh so good first I'll give a demonstration on using a jar AS the fermenting vessel and then using a crock then stay tuned because afterwards I will share with you what to do if mold or communist forms and how to do a long-term fermentation for months rather than days plus how do you know if the pickles have gone bad I'll share with you that information as well alrighty it's pickle making time the needed ingredients are cucumbers Dill flowers garlic bay leaves coriander seeds cloves salt and non-chlorinated water let's start by pre-making the brine so it's ready to go once we get to that step first use a salt that does not have any added ingredients other than Salt some salts are iodized and iodine is an antimicrobial agent which means it could style out the fermentation by killing the beneficial bacteria needed for the process also avoid using salts with any anti-caking agents because many of these added ingredients can also cause fermentation to fail if you're not sure what's in your salt read the label kosher salt is also okay so long is the only ingredient on the label is salt secondly use non-chlorinated water chlorine is also an antimicrobial agent and can prevent fermentation these forms of non-chlorinated water are okay to use a 4 to 4.25 saline brine is needed for this fermented pickle recipe the overall salt to water ratio is two full tablespoons of salt to one quart of water no matter the weight or the quantity of the Cucumbers the saline percentage will remain the same simply adjust the amount you make depending on the size of the fermenting jar or crock you're using I have found fermentation to be quite forgiving when it comes to saline percentages so if you're a little over or a little under the fermentation will turn out just fine First Step pickle spears using regular size pickling cucumbers that have already been rinsed we're going to cut off the end that had the flower blossom there's an enzyme in that Blossom that can potentially make the pickle soft so we'll just cut it off then quarter each cucumber [Music] by the way you can use just about any jar size from pint to gallon but for my pickle spears today I'm using a repurposed 1.5 liter Kalamata olive jar whichever type of Jar you're going to use first wash it with hot soapy water sterilization is not needed hot soapy water is suffice add the coriander seeds and cloves to the jar then some dough flowers which by the way if you have dill weed that will be fine it's the flowers that tend to have the strongest Dill flavor add the sliced garlic and bay leaves periodically loading the Cucumber Spears with the jar on its side is the easiest way to pack the jar the bay leaves have tannins in them that will help keep the Cucumbers crisp so you can have a crunchy pickle foreign [Music] be sure to pack the Cucumber Spears in there nice and tight which will help prevent them from floating up during the fermentation period push in Spears where you see any gaps I'm even using the blunt end of a chopstick to push the spears down and in I'd say the dill flowers are the most important of the flavors for these fermented pickles so remember to keep adding it even at the end wedge that dough in there and top off the jar with any remaining you can't really overdill next step is to add the brine give the brine a quick stir right before pouring it if you're using a natural salt that tends to leave a mineral sediment at the bottom pour the brine over the Cucumbers completely covering them leave a headspace at the top of the jar which will help prevent brine overflow during fermentation add a weight to help hold the Cucumbers down since they're going to really want to float up during the fermentation period especially if they weren't packed in tight if you don't have a glass fermenting weight like the one I'm using you can use a rock find one that will work well with your jar size wash it with hot soapy water then boil it for sterilization before its first use for future uses keep the rock as your fermenting weight and all you'll need to do is wash it with hot soapy water no need to boil it each time now add a coffee filter napkin or linen cloth over the jar and secure it with a rubber band I don't recommend using a cheesecloth because it's too porous lastly place the cucumbers on the countertop for seven to eight days for the fermentation period you'll notice the Cucumbers color change from bright green to olive green this is normal let's take a look on day three of the fermenting period you see bubbles here have formed and these are due to the natural gases released during fermentation and are normal but don't sweat it if your pickles don't develop many bubbles that's fine too you will also notice the brine has become cloudy which is also normal all looks good for day three however on day four the pickles had a bloom of calm yeast develop on top I'll show you what that looked like and what to do when it happens at the end of this video you can essentially follow these same steps to make equally delicious slices and baby or gherkin pickles [Music] and once I run you through the quick instructions for the Croc method I'll show you the end result for all of these pickles at the day 7 point along with a taste test and crunch comparison The Croc method this is my pile of regular to large size pickling cucumbers as well as some odd shaped ones that have curves and such that make them really uncooperative to pack straight into a regular jar I'm using a ceramic roaster as my pickle crock so long as it's glass or ceramic any style of Croc will do remember to wash it with hot soapy water first add all the seasonings into the crock oh then start loading the crock by placing the Cucumbers inside no need to pack them in tight foreign of the dill on top next add the brine the pickles will float up a bit since they're not wedged in tight but the fermenting weight will take care of this now the opening to my crock is oblong which is an odd shape so a traditional round fermenting weight designed for a jar won't work unless I used a bunch of them which I don't really want to do so with some looking around I was able to find a flat oblong rock that would cover the surface area perfectly I did already wash and boil the rock so it's ready for use look how well it works if outside rocks aren't your thing some fermentation cracks will come with appropriate fitting stoneware weights you can also get creative and find your own alternative weight solution leave the crock on the countertop for seven to eight days the color will transition let's now Jump Ahead to day seven and get the results of that taste test and crunch comparison start with the sliced smells good like a pickle wonderful flavor not super crunchy next let's try the babies tastes wonderful okay I'm gonna give my crunch ratings for all of these at the end of the taste tests next let's go for the Spears well of course since they're all the same recipe if one tastes good they're all going to taste good so flavor is spot on lastly the crock the crock is definitely the crunchiest really good so I'm going to come up with this crunchy scale from 0 to 10 10 being super crunchy like a fresh cucumber just picked from the garden and zero is really really mushy I'm going to call these crock pickles and eight and a half the Spears six the babies six and a half maybe six point seven five and the slices were the least crunchy I would call them a 5.5 but that's just my opinion overall every single one of these is delicious they're loaded with probiotics their pH is spot on they smell aromatically like a perfect pickle and there was no crunch Factor below a five which for a fermented pickle I'd say is pretty darn good here are four important notes I must share with you before we leave each other today number one to store any version of these pickles place a regular lid on the jar and keep it in the refrigerator where they will last for many months as for the crock before placing them in the fridge I transferred them along with their brine to an easy store glass container number two for ingredient measurements the amounts vary depending on the size of the fermenting vessel being used I went ahead and made a printer friendly ingredient document that gives the measurements for a pint Court 1.5 liter half gallon and one gallon jar or crock the link for these measurements are in the description number three when you finish your pickles don't throw out the probiotic Rich brine you can use it as a starter by adding a tablespoon to a new fermentation to give it a jump start or what I like to do is use it as salad dressing watch my how I eat fermented foods video to see exactly how I do it number four lacto fermentation is a type of fermentation used for vegetables including these pickles we're making today A genus of bacteria called lactobacillus are primarily responsible for lacto fermentation vinegar is a different type of fermentation bacteria and process vinegar kills lactobacillus and can potentially cause a lacto fermentation to fail so don't add vinegar to this recipe for more details watch my three minute video call called can I ferment in vinegar I'll place a link in the description below now for the Die Hard who wants to know everything before they dive into making fermented pickles here is the table of contents for the upcoming facts section how to know if the pickles have gone bad what to do if mold or calm yeast forms when to use specialty airlock lids and how to do a long-term fermentation Beyond eight days you'll also find time stamp chapters for all sections of this video in the description so you can return later and just jump right to the section you want to re-watch how to tell if your pickles have gone bad there are two ways to test if a fermentation has gone bad the first test is the smell test if the fermentation has a putrid offensive smell that signifies a bad bacteria overgrowth and the fermentation is not good to eat a fermentation or healthy smell will be a Swedish sour kind of smell and not putrid with these cucumbers they should smell just like pickles if they develop a rotten putrid smell then immediately throw them out if they smell like pickles but you want to be extra sure for your own peace of mind the second test is a pH test bad bacteria cannot live in an acidic pH below 4.5 now the brine will not start out below a 4.5 on day one but within three to four days of the fermentation period the brine pH should drop below 4.5 stick the meter in the Brine and read the pH if it's below 4.5 you're good I prefer to use this digital pH meter because I like the exact reading but you can use paper pH strips if you prefer those readings will be more General however whichever one you decide to use is up to you if you have calm yeast or mold developed first scrape off as much as possible then do the pH test in the next section I'll show you how to fully remove calm yeast and mold calm yeast and mold fermentation Funk is going to happen to everyone at some point in time but don't let it discourage you here's what you want to do to remove it commies does a thin papery whitish layer that can form on the top of fermentations aside from being unattractive it's harmless the removal of the fermenting weight will take the bulk of the yeast out then wipe the inside of the jar with a paper towel then place the jar or crock in a baking dish make additional brine at the same 4 to 4.25 saline percentage then pour the brine in just enough for the over spill to clear out the remaining flakes don't completely flush out the brine since the fermented brine has the low acidity probiotics and seasoning flavors that the new brine does not also if you want to take a pH test do so before adding the extra brine since the new brine will have a different pH than the original fermented one you want a true rating of the ferment I'm kicking out some of the brine before putting on a regular lid since the jar is too full once the lid is on dry the jars off and place in the fridge as for the Crockett had quite the commies Bloom on top along with a speck of mold for a little mold removal like this use a spoon to lift it out again the removal of the weight will take the bulk of the yeast out follow the same procedure for the Communist blush as just given with the 4.25 saline brine keep the pickles in that's placed in the fridge or transfer the pickles and their original brine to a glass container that may be more convenient for refrigerator storage airlock Lids although I showed you how to remove calm yeast and a little mold it is still unappealing and you may want to prevent it altogether this is where a specialty fermenting airlock lid can help especially if you live in a hot humid climate if you're using a wide mouth jar or using a gallon size jar there are options for both this is an airlock lid called the easy fermenter I have used other airlock lids and found this one to be the best with a 100 percent mold prevention success rate if you want to see me do a demo with this lid Style watch my fermented red Kraut video for a gallon size jar with a much wider opening there is this style of airlock lid system it allows gases to escape but keeps air out so long as you keep water in this little thing Amazon sells the jar and lid set and it's surprisingly inexpensive if you already have a gallon jar but need the special lid you can buy just the lid as well the solo lid without the jar looks a little different but works under the same concept links for these airlock lid systems are provided in the description long-term fermentation as it is the fermenting period for these pickles is seven to eight days then it's transferred to the refrigerator for long-term storage however if you want to ferment the pickles longer than the eight days maybe weeks or even months keeping it on your countertop here's what I recommend use an air lock lid because with long-term fermenting on the countertop or even in a Cellar the calm yeast in mold will eventually form if using a breathable cover this doesn't necessarily mean the pickles are spoiled however like I said the mold and calm yeast can be aesthetically unappealing and an airlock lid will prevent this problem cool temperatures notably slow down fermentation which is why storing in a root cellar cool basement or refrigerator is best for long-term storage but I understand not everybody has those options if you're planning on a long-term fermentation beyond the eight days even without a Cellar or refrigerator it is my recommendation patient to use an airlock lid from start to finish especially if you live in the south or in the tropics lastly keep in mind over the passing days weeks or months the pickles will continue to change in flavor and texture they will become more sour and softer how quickly and intense that change occurs depends on the fermenting environment warmth speeds up fermentation coolness slows it down congratulations if you made it all the way through to the end of this video you are a true devotee to the fermentation process and all of its ins and outs remember all the videos mentioned here today have links provided in the description and if you want to educate yourself further on fermenting I've got two great video recommendations for you did you know that not all fermentations are the same this video here is on the five different types of fermentation which is essential to understand if moving forward in the fermenting world and this one is on the probiotic profiles of fermented vegetables particularly sauerkraut click here to subscribe to my channel clean food living and I'll see you in the next video bye

Channel: Clean Food Living

Views: 374,019

Keywords: fermented pickles, fermented dill pickles, fermented pickles recipe, lacto fermented pickles, how to make fermented pickles, old fashioned pickles recipe, old fashioned dill pickle recipe, old fashioned salt pickles recipe, lacto fermented pickles recipe, fermented pickles in a crock, fermented pickles gone bad, homemade pickles, homemade fermented pickles, fermented dill pickles without vinegar, fermented pickles brine, how to make fermented dill pickles

Id: GX6PPYRPPa0

Length: 19min 26sec (1166 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 20 2022