Real pickles do not acquire their sourness from vinegar; rather, they acquire it with time and the action of beneficial bacteria, which convert sugars naturally present in cucumbers into lactic and acetic acids. In this dish, cucumbers slowly ferment with flowering dill, bulbs of fragrant garlic, mustard seed, allspice, cloves, and sweet bay to produce a truly traditional sour pickle. Horseradish leaf, rich in tannins, ensures that the pickles remain crisp. If you can’t find horseradish leaf at your farmers market and can’t grow it, both grape and oak leaves will also work.
MAKES: ABOUT 1 GALLON
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 quarts unwaxed pickling cucumbers (about 4 pounds)
- 2 heads flowering dill
- 3 bulbs garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
- 3 tablespoons Hot Pickling Spice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 horseradish leaf
- 8 cups water
- ¼ cup finely ground unrefined sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Fill a sink with cold water and soak the cucumbers for 30 minutes.
- Remove cucumbers and dry them gently with a kitchen towel.
- Trim the cucumbers and remove any bits of blossom or vine.
- Put the cucumbers, dill, garlic, pickling spice, bay leaves, and horseradish leaf into a gallon-size glass jar or fermentation crock.
- Heat the water in a saucepan until it feels neither hot nor cold and pour it into a clean pitcher.
- Stir the salt into the warm water until it dissolves. Pour this brine over the cucumbers and spices.
- Weigh down any floating cucumbers with a small plate or weight.
- Seal the jar or crock and allow the cucumbers to ferment at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks.
- Check the crock every few days to ensure that the cucumbers remain submerged in brine. Remove any film that might accumulate on the surface with a spoon and continue to ferment.
- Once the pickles have achieved a sourness that appeals to you, usually after 3 to 4 weeks of fermentation, transfer them to the refrigerator, root cellar, or other area of cold storage where they will keep for 6 months or longer.
