Name: Crisp Lacto-Fermented Garlic Pickles
Ingredients: Whole cucumbers or cut into spears to fill jar (about 8 medium); Pot or sink full of ice water; 8 cloves garlic; (Sandor Katz says 3 whole bulbs, but he’s kind of a garlic freak. This was good enough for our family; fiddle with it for yours.); 1 Tbs mustard seeds (optional); 4-5 oak leaves, fresh from tree; 4 black peppercorns; 1 head and 3 sprigs fresh dill; 7 Tbs; whey; 2 Tbs sea salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase); 2 c. filtered water plus more to fill jar; (optional) Clean plastic lid that fits inside the jar

Description

Makes 8 quarts

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 c. white vinegar
12 c. water
2/3 c. pickling salt (I used sea salt)
2 cloves garlic PER QUART, sliced or crushed to let the fla-vah out
1 sprig dill weed PER QUART
1 head of dill PER QUART
1–2 fresh oak leaves PER QUART

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Instructions

Soak cucumbers in ICE water at least 3 hours but not more than 8. (See above for details.) You can leave them whole or slice or spear them.
Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water 10 minutes. (I used the water in my big canning pot so I could just use the same water again to seal the jars.)
Mix vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
Make sure your water in the canning pot is boiling away and ready.
In each jar, put oak leaves, 1 clove garlic and the head of dill at the bottom.
Fill with cucumbers (don’t go above the bottom of the thread line on the jar).
Place the other clove of garlic and sprig of dill on top.
Fill with boiling brine to 1 inch from the top (approximately the bottom of the threads on the jar).
Wipe rim clean of liquid with a clean dishcloth.
Seal with lid and rim.
Carefully lower canning rack into boiling water. Make sure it covers at least 1 inch over the tops of the jars.
Process in boiling water 15 minutes.
Remove jars and allow to sit on the counter overnight.
If any jars have not sealed, move to the fridge.
Wait 8 weeks before eating for the flavors to fully enter the pickles. (But they’re really good before that time, too, if you just can’t wait to try them!)