How To Pickle Cucumbers

Pickles are hot They've been blowing up the socials with new-brined varieties, flavor combos, and new pickle spices appearing almost weekly. We talked to third-generation pickle peddler Nicholas Horman from Horman's Best Pickles about how to brine cucumbers at home. Here's what Nick had to say...

Brining Basics

According to Nicholas, there are four elements to incredible pickles: the cucumber, brine liquid, dill, and the pickling spice. 

What Cucumbers Are Best For Pickling?

Our pickle pro says an important step is to buy locally-grown cucumbers from a farmers' market. He stressed that "vine to brine" is optimal for making a good pickle. This ensures you don't get cucumbers with that store-bought waxy gunk on them that will keep your pickle-juice from absorbing into the cucumber. Also, make sure you don't scrub your cucumbers squeaky clean. Fresh cucumbers have naturally occurring bacteria from the soil they're grown in, and those microorganisms are key to the fermentation process. 

For best results, Nick likes to use smaller, bumpy-skinned cukes - the firmer, the better. We like Kirbys, but again, see what your local green market has from nearby farms. When picking your fruit (yes, cucumbers are classified as fruit) look for firm, darker but vibrant green skins, without soft spots or blemishes. 

What You Need To Start Pickling

Pickling only requires a few tools, so it's easy to get started. You'll need:

• 1-gallon ceramic pickling crock 

• Glass jars (32 oz - boil them beforehand)

Ingredients For A Basic Pickle

• 20 tablespoons of Kosher salt

• 18 to 20 small, firm, farm-fresh cucumbers 

• 1 gallon filtered water

• Kosher salt

• 6 ounces of pickling spice 

• 1 bunch of fresh dill 

• 1 garlic bulb 

Directions For Basic Pickling

1. Make The Brine: Add approximately 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt per 16 oz of filtered water. You should make about a gallon. On the salt side, that's approximately 18-20 tablespoons added to your brine mix.  Set brine aside in a space that's room temperature away from the sun. Somewhere that won't get above 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  

2. Prepare The Cucumbers: Rinse the cucumbers, but remember don't scrub them too hard. The soil they came from had bacteria that improves the pickling process. 

3. Pack The Crock: Layer the cucumbers, pickling spice, and fresh dill. Pour the room temperature brine liquid over the ingredients until the cucumbers are covered and float. You should leave about a half-inch of headroom on top. If the fruit floats you know you have the right amount of salty goodness in your brine for a yummy full sour pickle. Reserve the remaining brine in a plastic Ziploc. 

4. Fermentation: Place the wooden top on the crock to keep the cucumbers submerged. Weight the top down with your plastic bag filled with reserved brine. Place the crock in a room-temperature space away from the sun. Check daily and top off with extra brine as needed with your reserve as the fruit absorbs the liquid. This is to ensure the cucumbers stay submerged and to prevent mold growth or spoilage from exposure to air. Leave the crock out at room temperature for around 5 days.

5. Refrigeration: When the cucumbers' hue goes from a vibrant green color to a duller hue, transfer them and the liquid, herbs, and spices to jars and store them in the fridge for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, add chopped fresh garlic cloves, leave an extra day or two, and then enjoy.

Trouble Shooting

According to the folks at U of M, there are a few things you may want to look out for while pickling, including the following:

- Soft Pickles: If your pickles went soft, they may have gone bad due to too much yeast formation. Do not use them.
- Under Brining: It's better to err on the side of more salt rather than less, since under-salted brine can also cause slimy, mushy pickles.
- Overpacked Pickles: All your pickles should have enough room around them to be fully submerged so they can absorb your brine on all sides. Just one pickle peeking out over the top of the brine can ruin your whole batch.
- Kahm Yeast: If there is whitish stuff growing on top, it's something called kahm yeast, and it's harmless. It consumes sugar and creates lactic acid during fermentation, which is good for your sour dills. Just rinse it off the dills when you are done. Also, there is a difference between kahm yeast and mold. The yeast is a very light orange or off-white color. Mold is dark, and it's hairy. If you see mold, it's bad news, and you have to start over.

And just like that, you got some pickles, folks. Have fun pickling. If you're looking for a quick pickle fix in the meantime, we highly recommend heading over to Horman's for a briny bonanza of sour snacks. 

Gear

You will need the following: 

- A 1-gallon ceramic pickling crock with a wooden lid.
- 32 oz glass jars - boil them before use.

Process

Make the salt brine. Fill your crock with the cucumbers and add pickling spice at around 6 ounces per ounce of water with about a half inch of space on the top. Your pickling crock should have a wooden top that will be used to keep pickles submerged. It's important to keep the cucumber submerged beneath the brine to prevent spoilage or mold growth. 

- Add 6 ounces of brine mix and fresh dill weed or dill to your 1-gallon crock of Kosher salt water.
- Add cukes and make sure they float. 
- Cover crock. 
- Leave out at room temperature for about 5 days. 
- Check daily. There will be white bacteria growth, but this is good as it creates lactic acid from the sugars of the        cucumbers and produces CO2 gas. 
- When the cucumbers no longer have the original bright green color, it's time to pack 'em up in jars and set them in the fridge for the curing phase.
- After 3 weeks in the fridge, you'll see the cucumbers "drop," meaning all air has left them and they've been filled with that aromatic brine. 
- Garlic - If you want garlic flavor, go for American, Spanish, and Mexican varieties for your mix. Do not put garlic in at the start of the process. At the end of your brining stage, generously add fresh chopped garlic if you like and leave for a few more days.

And just like that, you got some pickles, folks. Have fun pickling. If you're looking for a quick pickle fix in the meantime, we highly recommend heading over to Horman's for a briny bonanza of sour snacks.