Fermented Kosher-Style Dill Pickles

These old-fashioned deli-style pickles are created entirely by fermentation without using vinegar. This fermented dill pickle recipe produces a quantity that fills a 1/2-gallon mason jar. If you like, add a few nontraditional chile de arbol peppers for their red visual appeal (and spiciness)!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Calories: 30 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ gallon water
• ⅓ cup kosher salt
• 1 bunch fresh dill, stems trimmed
• 1 cup tap water
• 2 pounds Kirby cucumbers
• 5 cloves fresh garlic, or more to taste
• 3 dried chile de arbol peppers

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pour 1/2 gallon water into a large container or pot. Cover loosely and allow to sit for 24 hours to allow dissolved chlorine to escape.

Step 2

Crisp cucumbers by storing in the refrigerator or soaking in very cold water for 1 hour.

Step 3

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.

Step 4

Wash cucumbers in cold water and remove any blossoms clinging to them. Quarter large cucumbers lengthwise; cut medium cucumbers in half lengthwise; leave gherkin-sized cucumbers whole.

Step 5

Peel and gently crush garlic cloves, but don't splinter them into fragments.

Step 6

Pour cooled salt water into a 1/2-gallon mason jar. Add cucumbers, garlic, dill, and dried chile peppers, arranged attractively. Pack cucumbers tightly; they will shrink as they pickle. Fill the jar with dechlorinated water until cucumbers are just covered to avoid overly diluting brine.

Step 7

Loosely cover the jar and set it aside at room temperature; set the jar on a dish if it is full to catch any dribbles. Let sit undisturbed until fermentation begins, 12 to 24 hours.

Step 8

Refrigerate pickles in brine and loosely covered as they approach the pickling stage you prefer: new, half-sour, or sour. Don't overshoot the mark, as refrigeration slows but does not stop fermentation.