Wash and prep your cucumbers.
– Use cucumbers bred for pickling. They have a firm crisp flesh and a good skin
– Pick them at the proper size. If they get too big the seeds can be obtrusive
– Trim the vine end from the cucumber. It contains an enzyme that will cause soggy pickles, a small slice off is good, no larger than quarter inch.
– Make sure they are clean
– I like to slice them in quarters so I can pack them tight
You do not have to slice the cucumbers but it can take a bit longer for them to ferment and they will not pack as tight which will require more brine.
For the brine, you do not want to use city tap water because of the additives can cause texture and color issues. Likewise unless you have tested using your well/mineral water I would avoid it.
– 1 pint bottled purified water. The cheap stuff is fine.
– 1 TO 1.5 table spoons pickling salt
– 6-8 cloves of garlic slightly smashed or diced
– 8-10 whole peppercorns
– a head of dill or some of the braches
Clean your jars thoroughly. Place half your amount of garlic at the bottom then add your cucumbers. Pack them tightly but not so much you crush them. Depending on slicing you may have to pick and choose what fits best where. Put in your dill head or dill then the remaining garlic cloves. Add the salt and water to top the pickles. Water level should be about a half inch under the cap, but I have gone a bit higher when needed. Put the top on and shake to combine and distribute the salt. I like to shake them periodically throughout the first day or two. Loosen the cap slightly and place on the counter under a cloth or in a cabinet for 24-48 hours. The way I tell how long is by smell and color. You can tell pickles are starting to ferment by the white bubbles that form and by the flesh of the cucumbers changing. The longer they are kept at room temperature, the more fermented and sour they become. This process does not stop when they go into the refrigerator but slows.
After 48 hours I put them in the fridge for at least a week and check on them daily to make sure nothing unusual happens. After a week I taste them to see how they are progressing. Sometimes they are ready in a week, sometimes two.
In the fridge they keep for a couple months.
In the picture below, the larger container is the wide mouth 64 ounce ball container and the two smaller are 32 ounce. The smaller ones are just packed and the larger is a week old.
