Pickled cucumbers pack loads of vitamins ( such as vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, vitamin C) and minerals in their vinegary brine. Lacto-fermentation, both pickles, and juice are full of gut-health-promoting probiotics, and homemade pickles are way better than any product you might buy in the stores.
Prep: 5 mins
Ingredients
4 pickling cucumbers, quartered lengthwise into spears
1 tbsp pickling spices that you like; I used red pepper flakes, garlic powder
1 tannin-rich ingredient, such as a teabag
1 tbsp ground Himalayan sea salt
Chlorine-free water, enough to cover cucumbers.
Directions
Place pickling spices into the bottom of a quart-sized jar.
Place a teabag into the bottom of the jar.
Add cucumber spears to the jar, packing tightly.
Mix salt with a small amount of water and pour into the jar.
Pour additional water into the jar to make sure that cucumbers are completely covered.
Place lid on jar. Tighten lid.
Place jar in a warm place that averages between 72 – 78°F.
Release the lid daily and retighten. This will release some of the carbon dioxide gas produced by the fermentation process and prevent your jar from breaking.
After a few days, check the texture of the cucumbers. If they are to your liking, you can refrigerate your cucumbers. If they have not reached a satisfactory texture, continue to ferment for up to 7 days, then refrigerate them.
Over the next few weeks, during refrigeration, the pickles will absorb more of the brine, increasing their flavor. Lacto-fermented pickles will stay fresh, refrigerated for approximately 6 months.