How to Make Sour Pickles

Cucumbers being prepared for the pickling process.

Choosing to make sour pickles will give you a sense of pride. Stores stock their shelves full of various types of pickles, but people can make their own pickles with a little preparation. Make sour pickles by using Kirby cucumbers. Thick skins covered in white and black bumps characterize these cucumbers. In order to pickle these cucumbers, they must go through a pickling process known as fermentation. Fermentation is a process that can take as long as three weeks.

Things You'll Need

• 1 gallon glass jar
• Small unwaxed Kirby cucumbers
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup of kosher salt
• 1/3 cup of vinegar
• 6 crushed garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp. pickling spices
• 2 tbsp. dill seeds
• 1 tsp. of chili flakes
• 1 pinch of black peppercorn
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber band

Instructions

1. Choose 20 Kirby cucumbers. These cucumbers are generally 3 to 6 inches long and are known for their irregular shape. Scrub the cucumbers until they are free of dirt and debris. Inspect the cucumbers for any bad spots or rotting before choosing to use them for pickling.

2. Place cucumbers in a glass jar standing straight up from top to bottom. The best way to assemble the cucumbers is to turn the jar sideways and place them lying vertically in the jar. Fill the jar as full as possible with cucumbers, but do not force cucumbers into the jar.

3. Pour 8 cups of water over the cucumbers. Make sure that the water covers the cucumbers. Add more water if necessary, but leave room for the brine mixture.

4. Blend the crushed garlic with the salt, vinegar, dill seeds and pickling spices. This will create your brine for the sour pickles. Brine is a mixture of salt and water used in the fermentation process. Pour this mixture into the glass jar with the cucumbers and water. Seal the jar and shake the contents to blend all of the spices into the brine mixture.

5. Cover the jar and leave at room temperature for two weeks. Add a piece of plastic wrap around the top of the jar and poke holes in it to allow the fermentation gases to escape.

6. Alternate the position of the jar every other day by turning it upside down to stir the ingredients. Place a metal or plastic lid over the plastic wrap to ensure that the mixture does not escape. Remove any mold and film buildup in the jar.

7. Add salt and water to the jar as needed during the two weeks. After the two weeks, place the jar into the refrigerator for two days before consuming.

Tips & Warnings

• Add grape leaves for extra crispiness. Remove any film or mold that may build up on the surface of the pickles during fermentation. Leave out for one week for pickles that are half sour.

References

• Fermented Sour Pickles
• Make a Pickle