Half Sour Pickles

Making sour dills has been a part of our summer routine for over a decade now. When Kirby cukes of the perfect size show up (you know, the stubby and warty ones) we spring into action. I say “we” since both of us put up the pickles, but if I’m being honest, I’m usually the one to turn a casual run to the farmer’s market into an impulsive preserving frenzy.

Thankfully, the fallout from my impulsiveness is pretty low-stakes. Unlike turning a box of tomatoes into sauce or a flat of blackberries into jam, turning cucumbers into fermented pickles is super light on prep. The process couldn’t be easier if you have a few key pieces of equipment. Old-school crocks are great, but we’ve moved exclusively to half-gallon glass canning jars, a set of inexpensive airlocks, and some handy glass weights.

These tools are not strictly necessary, but the whole setup probably costs less than $30, and we have yet to replace anything after at least ten seasons of making these pickles, as well as countless batches of kraut and kimchi. There are fancier fermentation tools out there, but we have stuck with half-gallon mason jars for a few reasons. Unlike earthenware crocks, you can actually see what’s going on with your pickles—bubbles from fermentation, how the liquid looks, etc.—which makes it easier to tell when the process is nearly complete and it’s time to start taste-testing. When the pickles are ready, all you have to do is swap out the airlock lid with a normal canning lid and put them in the fridge. Plus, they’re cheap and easy to clean.

After years of making these pickles, our method has changed very little. We always slice the blossom end off of each cucumber to keep the pickles crisp. An enzyme is present there that leads to softer pickles. We used to add grape or oak leaves to the ferment to help promote crispness further (their tannins also discourage the enzymatic activity that softens pickles). After making several batches without the leaves, we decided they make little to no difference after the blossom ends have been cut and rarely use them anymore. (We added grape leaves to the batch pictured for good luck.)

For this ferment, we use a 3.5 percent brine. If you wish to scale this recipe for a smaller or larger batch, simply add enough 3.5 percent brine to cover the cucumbers. Use smallish pickling cucumbers for this ferment—they should be about four inches long (smaller is okay, but they will ferment faster, and need to be checked sooner). Try to use cucumbers that are all about the same size. If you have some smaller and some larger cucumbers, pack the smaller ones in at the top of the jar so you eat those first.

The most important thing to remember with pickles like this is that fermentation times are just a guideline. Your pickles may take longer than ours if your pickles are kept in a cool place (or sooner if your house is warm). Taste the cucumbers as they ferment. When you like the way they taste, they’re ready. You may prefer them to be quite sour, in which case you’ll be fermenting them for a longer period of time. If you like them less sour and a bit firmer, you won’t need to ferment as long. It’s all about preference.

One optional thing I’ve been doing for several summers: to infuse the fermenting liquid with more flavor, I simmer the smashed garlic cloves and peppercorns in a small saucepan with water to cover for 5 minutes, then strain them over a liquid measuring cup and divide between the jars. I then include the cooking liquid in the water I use to make the brine. It’s a tiny bit fussier, but a brief simmer really helps extract flavor from the peppercorns and garlic. Plus, cooking the garlic cloves softens them a bit, turning them into tasty morsels when you get to the bottom of the pickle jar (the fermenting process does little to alter the firm texture of raw garlic).