Americans are well known for our wide assortment of pickles: dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, relish, and more. While some may think pickles are made with vinegar, they have actually been around for thousands of years, with some saying they date back to Mesopotamia almost 5,000 years ago. Back then, instead of using a vinegar brine, salt was used as the natural preservative to create something called lacto-fermentation. Essentially, the salt brine creates a healthy environment that transforms the sugars in cucumbers into tangy lactic acid, producing a naturally fermented pickle. We recently tried this as a team during a company off-site, and it was such a hit that we wanted to share it with you.
Ingredients
- 1 quart water
- 2 tablespoons Ballerina Farm Coarse Grey French Salt
- 4-6 small cucumbers, or a large cucumber cut into spears
- 3-4 peeled, garlic cloves
- 1 bunch fresh dill
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sterilized Weck Jar
Method
- Before starting this recipe, make sure your Weck Jars are thoroughly cleaned and sterilized to prevent any unwanted bacteria.
- Pack the jars tightly with cucumbers, layering in fresh garlic and dill. Slip in a bay leaf to add tannins and help keep the pickles crunchy. (A grape leaf works just as well.)
- Add about 1 tablespoon of Ballerina Farm Coarse Grey French Salt, then fill the jar with water. Secure the lid with the clasps and let the jar sit on your countertop. Be sure to “burp” it daily by briefly opening the lid to release any built-up gas, this is a good sign the fermentation is working.
- Your pickles are ready to move to the fridge once the liquid turns cloudy, a key indicator that fermentation has worked and lactic acid has formed.
- Enjoy them cold straight from the jar or sliced onto a hamburger with one of our Premium Tri-Blend Burger Patties.
- Happy fermenting!
